Version 01
by INzaneTJ
Summary: A forgotten past, an enemy determined to hunt him down, a string of strange events, the abduction of a brother-all of this takes place before his very eyes. As he uncovers the truth, he wonders: are there answers to these insane questions? A Nindroid's Tears: Forgotten 1-4 combined. Murder/Thriller. Rated T for dark content, violence, gore, and fluff. Pixane, Jaya, and KaixOC.


**A/N: I combined all the chapters of my four FF in a seiers to compare the writing, and see all the mistakes. The next version will be edited. :)**

A Nindroid's Tears: Forgotten 1-4 Comparison

Chapter 1

The Memories

I nervously gaze at the unconscious man on the ground in front of me, rain drenching my cold, shivering body. My head throbs in rhythm with the booming thunder. I look at the man's gaunt, pale face, fearing creep into the farthest corners of my wounded heart. I know this man, but he seems a distant memory of a forgotten past. Staring at my hand, I now notice I am holding a knife. Although I know it is not my own, I cannot help but wonder what happened to him and what this has to do with me.

Although I am a ninja, I would never harm a man. Although I am a robot, I would never do this to anyone, yet I cannot deny the fact that there is blood on my hands. I look at my soaked shoulder and see a gash half the size of my palm. Maybe the blood is my own, but that does not compute, for there is no vital fluid in my system. I feel faint and find my body smacking against the hard ground. A what-seems-distant voice calls me, "Zane? Zane! Get up!"

I open my eyes abruptly meeting rather bright light and roll clean off my bed where I hit my head on the wood. There is a minor throb on the spot, but nothing to fuss over. I promptly stand up and observe my hands. No knife. No blood. No pain. I glance at my shoulder and find it's precisely the same as last night. The horrible experience was only a dream, I suppose. The familiar scent of burning food wafts into the room.

"Zane, are you okay? You look a bit off this morning," a voice behind me inquires, "What are you doing?" I turn to see Kai behind me with a confused expression on his face.

"Nothing. I was just confirming my dream wasn't reality," I respond, "Where are the others?"

"Heading to the breakfast table. They wanted me to wake you up. Plus—you're not going to like this first this in the morning—Cole's cooking pancakes."

"No wonder something smells as if it's burning."

"Yeah. Take your time getting ready," Kai calls over his shoulder. He shuts the wooden door of our shared room behind him.

I go through my morning routine to the bathroom to brush my teeth. After that, I wash my face and stare into the mirror with the water still running. Baffling. Yesterday I discovered I am a robot, which is a major shock to a down-to-earth individual. I have had strange dreams and scenes flash in front of me, as if more memories have been lost or erased then I had once believed. Something traumatizing occurred previously that took place after my father passed away. I need to know. But we must be rid of the snake issue before digging into secondary matters.

I sigh and turn the faucet off. Next I dry my face with a towel, and change into my white ninja suit; then head out to the dining area. I smile in the doorway when I see everyone gathered at the wooden dining table, chatting lively, especially Jay. I enter in silence and hear the usual greetings they give me. "Good morning," I respond to them. Nothing has changed although they know who I am. Or do they? I try to push the thought to the back of my mind and sit at my usual spot. At the same moment, Cole enters the dining room with two white plates, piled with charred pancakes. He sets the food on the table and takes his seat with a cheery expression, on his round face.

"Aren't you forgetting something," Jay asks.

Cole raises his dark, bushy eyebrows, clearly perplexed.

"You forgot the syrup and butter," Kai comments, punching the earth ninja's shoulder.

"Oh yeah!" he exclaims, pushing his chair back from the table, "And I thought you were teasing me about my food."

"I'll get it," I volunteer and head to the kitchen before he can respond. I open the fridge door and get out the butter. The syrup was already on the counter, so I go to pick it up. The moment I do, however, a vivid vision appears before me. A blond teen dressed in grey trousers, and a striped sweater heads towards the dining room. He abruptly halts in the doorway, and screams.

The place darkens and three masked men, holding knives, approaches him. I do not move, but just stand there, petrified. "Call the police, now!" the teen screams. I see an elderly woman with a cane hurry off and fade from the scene and the boy, wielding a bat, is attacked and eventually is struck down. He is stabbed in the shoulder and drops to the ground. I touch my shoulder, feeling violent pain in the same area. My head throbs and things turn blurry. I see them gloating over the poor teen, who is still conscious. I fall onto the tile and drop the things in my hands, making a loud crash, audible to everyone.

"Zane, are you alright?" I hear Nya's voice from the other room.

"Do you need help?" Kai calls out. I open my mouth, but can't speak. They hurry in.

"Are you okay?" Jay gasps. I fight the pain and try to get up, but cannot. Kai and Nya grab me by both arms and help me stand. I wince at the ripping feeling in my shoulder and feel a wave of sickness wash over me. I stumble backwards into the two siblings, who catch me as the blackness takes over me.

Chapter Two

Trauma

I open my eyes and feel my throbbing head first, then my arm, which feels a bit sore from the fall. My shoulder, however, is not in any pain whatsoever. I am in my bed, again this time with the others (Nya, Kai, Jay, and Cole) sitting on the floor. Kai sees me and stands up, "Can you hear me, Zane? Are you alright?"

Everyone crowds round me with concerned expressions on their usually happy faces. "What happened to you?" Jay asks.

"I'm not quite certain," I respond and then add to lighten the mood, "I sense Cole's breakfast did it for me."

Everyone laughs, with the exception of the black ninja. He stares at me with a hard face and breaks in, "Why are you cracking jokes when you were sick like that? Does our concern seem entertaining to you?"

All of us cease our laughter and I put on a straight expression, "I'm sorry, Cole. I will explain it in due time, but I would rather not at the moment. I need time to think this through. I am going to take a walk in the forest, alone."

"Why?" Jay presses.

I see Kai give him a fierce look and Jay backs down mumbling. "Zane, we respect your decision, however, we are concerned with your safety," Nya says in a calm tone.

"I will be fine," I reply, "I'll take my weapons with me, just to be safe."

"But can you use them?" Jay asks.

"I am able to," I reassure him (though I am not certain), "Don't worry."

"Can you get up?" Kai questions me.

"I believe so. Let me make an attempt. They move out of the way and I slowly lift the sheet and blanket off me. I swing my legs off the bed and start to carefully stand up, ignoring the pain in my head. I can walk and am fine. I get my shurikens and depart from the bounty, walking into the woods where I first met the falcon. After trudging along for about ten minutes, I stop and lean against a tree; the pain is quite irritating and I hope it will go away. I suddenly hear a crack of a branch not far behind me and whirl round, pulling out my weapons, ready for any of the snakes. It's Lloyd!

"Lloyd!" I shout joyfully and run towards him, "Did you escape the serpentine?" When I reach him, I see clearly it is not so. He is shaking all over and is bound by ropes. I slice through them with one stroke of my shurikens

"Zane!" he whispers frantically, "They're everywhere! They are-"

In the middle of his sentence, five Constrictai slide down the tree and surround us in a circle. The trick is to be swift, because their strength is overpowering (in addition, Sensei ordered me to beat the Venomari). I try to concentrate on my True Potential but strange scenes flash in my mind, constantly. Unable to wield my newly obtained power, I have three options. I can fight, climb a tree (which will not work out), or run. Under normal circumstances, I would fight them, but Lloyd cannot, so I make my decision. I grab Lloyd's hand and dash towards the end of the circle using Spinjitzu to break through the ring.

"We are ten minutes away from the exit!" I told him "Hang in there." More snakes-Venomari to be precise-attack us from the front. I stand in front of Lloyd as they spray green-hallucinatory venom on my eyes. My vision becomes distorted and my assailants (from my perspective) turn into many masked men with red eyes. I drop my shurekins, freezing with terror. How can I be frightened of humans? These men are like the one in my dream; the man on the ground was before me. Two grab my arms and pin me to the ground. I want to move, but legs won't budge; I want to scream but my voice will not permit me; I want them to leave me, but they will not; I want to save Lloyd, but my fear keeps me from acting. All I can do is stare at the men's red, merciless eyes. The snakes bind me with chains and cover my head with a sack. I do see black, but the vivid scenes will not depart from me. The boy, who had been stabbed by the masked man, crawls on the floor to the elderly woman. Although she may be knocked out, I have a feeling of certainty that she is gone from the world.

"Zane!" I hear Lloyd's voice calling me hysterically.

"Silence!" another voice commands and I hear a slap. I try to move, fervently. "Get him up!" the voice instructs, "Take him to Pythor!" Two sets of hands pull me up by the arms and loosen their grips. My legs give way and I fall face down, unable to stop from hitting my face. Everything turns black for a moment, and then I see the boy again, crying over the woman's body. I feel a sharp pang in my heart for the old woman. For some reason, she is dear to me. I suddenly connect this all together; the boy turns and I see his face. It is my own! These are memories I have forgotten, unlike the ones up to when my father passed away, which were erased. I see many other scenes for what seems an eternity. I suddenly feel a shock of electricity run swiftly through my body. I open my eyes and still see black, but then the sack is removed from my head, showing a bright light in front of me. I squint while I adjust. I am in a chair, chained up. I twist my head and see Lloyd in another chair next to me. He is trembling, and so am I.

Chapter 3

Wires

I shade my face from the light and find they are cuffed with extended chains. Two snakes guard us; one with a flashlight, the other with a spear pointed at me. We seem to be in a dim cave of some sort. It is quiet enough that I can hear Lloyd's rapid breaths. "So, did you get some comfortable rest, ninja?" a voice echoes from somewhere behind. I turn my head 360 degrees (which would be odd if someone saw me and did not know I am a robot) and see a serpentine form slithering over. Pythor appears, holding a bucket of water, "My, my!" he exclaims, "Did your mother ever teach you not to creep people out like that?"

I've never had one, but I ignore that and ask fiercely while twisting my head back, "What are you doing with us?"

"Oh, well I have not quite made up my mind completely, yet. But I have just thought of something. How do you open yourself up?" he questions me in an irritatingly placid tone.

"Excuse me?"

"You are a robot. You must be able to open your insides somehow. Tell me where it is."

"Do you think I will tell you?"

"It is your option, but if you don't," he moves over to Lloyd and grabs his arm, "I will drown this boy in the bucket." He sets the container down, grabs the chair Lloyd's bound to, and tips the boy's head quite close to the water. Lloyd starts to cry.

"No!" I scream, "I have a compartment in my left arm and in my chest."

Pythor smiles repulsively. He moves the chair back up and says to his henchmen, "Undo the robot's chains, but not the cuffs." The one with the light takes a set of keys from a bag and unlocks the chains, which drop to the ground with a loud clink. I stand up and open my chest. Pythor, with the bucket in hand, slithers to me, and observes my switches carefully. He sets the bucket down again and says, "So many switches! How will I choose?" He stares at me without blinking. Fear grips me like two hands squeezing my throat. I stare back, attempting to appear fearless for what seemed forever. He finally puts his hand out towards the snake with the bag. The snake hands it to Pythor who dumps the contents of onto the cave floor.

"What are you doing?" Lloyd asks nervously.

"You shall see."

He picks up a bare wire and a blueprint; he begins examining it silently. A sense of foreboding washes over me and I have wild thoughts. I try to shove them to the back of my mind, but they won't go away. Somehow, all of this feels eerily familiar, however, I do not understand why. It could be another memory, yet it could be my extensive imagination.

"Ah!" Pythor exclaims in despicable delight, "There it is."

Could I escape with Lloyd? I don't know. I calculate the probability. Suddenly, Pythor wraps the wire round one of my switches and pushes me back into the chair.

"Zane!" Lloyd screams.

I struggle, but the snakes drop their things and grab my arms. Three more enter the room while I fall backwards on the chair. I try to roll but am pinned to the ground. Pythor yanks out one of my black wires. Sparks fly in me and in front of me. I gasp from the pain. He pulls another one and twists them together, tightly. Lloyd keeps screaming, but no one pays heed to him. "Hold him down," Pythor commands them and heads out the room. In a moment, he returns with a cage. Inside the cage is the falcon, chained! He opens the door and says, "Record this message for the ninja." The falcon's eyes flash red.

"What are you doing?" I demand.

"Good afternoon ninja. As you can see here, I have your little white ninja here with me, and Lloyd Garmadon," Pythor begins, "If you want to see them again, follow the falcon, without your weapons, or else this will happen."

He grabs my intertwined wires and dips the broken, exposed ends into the bucket of water. Immediately, a shock sends searing pain throughout my body. I scream. He keeps holding it down. Everything starts to darken, but he pulls it out at that moment. I drop my head back in momentary relief, while he laughs menacingly. He snaps the wires and drops them on the ground. I retch. He makes his way to the falcon and says directly in my feathered friend's eye, "Cut!" The falcon's eyes turn blue and it takes off.

He returns and wraps a wire round another switch. His merciless purple eyes shine with pure entertainment as he rips out a handful of gears and wires. I see his mouth move but cannot hear him at all. He then flips a switch. Everything goes black.

Chapter 4

Bait

I open my eyes to see dark clouds and Lloyd's concerned face over me. "Are you alright?" I ask him but find I cannot hear my own voice. Lloyd moves his lips rapidly, making me unable to catch what he says. "I can't hear you," I tell him.

I believe he is saying, "Can you speak slowly?" I repeat the sentence not as hastily. Lloyd frowns. I see his lips move again, "You can't hear?" I lift a hand to open my chest, but feel intense pain. No wonder; my insides were ripped out; to make matters far worse, we are chained by our legs to a tree.

"Can you open me up carefully?" I ask. Lloyd attempts to, but it won't budge. He tries again, harder this time. It's stuck. Lloyd puts his small hand on my head and strokes my hair, sighing. I think. We remain in this position for twenty minutes, while night approaches. It will be sundown shortly. Not hearing anything is driving me insane. I wonder if the others are safe; if they have received the message yet, because I am certain we are much deeper into the forest than prior to the ambush. At last, I break the silence (not for my ears, but for his).

"What exactly happened?" I ask.

"He took us here and chained us to the tree, preparing an ambush. I did not see what he did to lock your chest. Can you turn your hearing back on by using your arm compartment?" Of course! I had not even considered that! I nod and Lloyd opens my arm. He flips the switch. "Can you hear me?" he asks. I shake my head.

Lloyd stands up suddenly, but trips on the chain and falls next to me. "Are you okay?" I ask, "What's wrong?" He doesn't respond, but just stares past me. I painfully force myself to stand, helping Lloyd get up in the process. I turn to see a large red plant shift slightly. It's not a plant. It's Kai hiding behind a bush. I fervently signal him to leave. He ignores my warning and stealthily approaches us with Jay in the rear. I keep signaling but Kai pulls out his Sword of Fire and slices through the chains. "Don't!" I whisper as loudly as I dare, "You're taking the bait!" Jay's ninja mask moves slightly at the mouth area. "I can't hear you," I inform him.

Both ninja take their masks off. "What do you mean by 'taking the bait'?" Jay asks.

Abruptly, serpentine drop down from the trees and approach us, using the same, slow, and dimwitted manner they always do. We stand back to back and surround Lloyd with a human and robot wall. I calculate. There are six snakes to every ninja (including Lloyd, even if he is not one).

Chapter 5

Ambush

"Here," Jay hands me my shurikens, "You might need this."

I take it saying simply, "Thanks."

Questions can wait. "Ninja go!" The three of us whip into our elemental tornadoes as a Hypnobrai group charges. We stop as the Constrictai group dashes toward us. The first one to attack me is wielding a spear. I swiftly put my weapons into my katana holster and grabbing my assailant's spear, just below the shaft, swing it to the side. The snake loses his grip and flies back a few feet. I thrust the butt end of the weapon into the next snake's stomach; then swing it to the side, whacking another in the head. I flip the weapon so the spear is facing my next attacker, who raises his sword and drives the blade through the middle; the spear slices in two. He is vulnerable for only two seconds. I take my opportunity and smack the snake's hand that is holding the sword with my "stick", making him drop his weapon.

I raise the stick to strike, when I feel a ripping pain in my left arm, causing me to drop my own weapon. I turn to see the Fangpyre general, bereft of their staff. Instantly I think of the venom that turns people (and perhaps robots as well) into serpentine. I glance at my arm and see that it is not so. One of the snakes is holding the handle of a knife, which is imbedded in my limb. He pulls it out, snapping several wires. I reach to grab the dangling wires, when the latter snake rushes up, with sword in hand again, and swipes it at my head from my right. I duck and he makes a neat slice into the general's arm. The right snake's head snake hisses in pain and I snatch his knife. Perhaps I can use the two-headed creature to escape. I step behind them, grab one of their shoulders, and put the ten-inch knife across both of their throats. Good thing the blade is long enough.

"I have your general!" I shout over the clamor. Everyone stops and looks at me. "Back off, or else I'll finish him," they all know I won't, but I have them in a tight corner, "Jay and Kai, transform the weapons. We need to get out of here." They do. Jay lets Lloyd get atop his Storm Rider. I slowly back up, step by step. My arm is weakening every passing second. Without warning, the general elbows my left side and breaks free from my grasp. I fall to my knees as the snake darts away.

I turn round and leap onto the vehicle just as Jay takes off the ground. The snakes cannot fly, so I suppose we are safe, for the present. I feel the wind whip through my blond hair, drinking in the lovely, colorful sunset and sigh deeply. I glance back in time to see a rattlecopter slam into us, rocking our vehicle and I slide close to the edge. I latch onto the side to steady myself. Lloyd rolls off, screaming, as far as I can tell. I grab his arm with my left hand, knowing I won't be able to hold him for long. His eyes are wide with terror as he dangles high over the trees.

"Kai," I shout as loud as I can, "Catch Lloyd!"

He must have thought of the same thing, because he accelerated, attempting to get under us. My hand slips. Kai is not close enough! "Lloyd!" I scream, "No!" He's going to hit the tree. When Lloyd is about a foot above it, the mysterious Samurai swoops in and catches Lloyd. He lands, sets the boy down, and attacks the snakes. Jay lands and transforms the weapon again. We go to help the Samurai, but Pythor appears and grabs Lloyd, holding a knife to his throat.

Chapter 6

Hostage

"Stay back ninja, or I'll make an end of the boy," Pythor warns us and he backs up, towards another rattlecopter that is waiting. He hops onto it and it lifts into the air. We watch helplessly as he takes Lloyd with him and the snakes depart.

"No!" Kai screams. I grab him with my good hand as he goes to transform his sword. He stares at me, inflamed that they have Lloyd and I am preventing him. He breaks away and asks, "Why are you stopping me?"

"They'll kill him if you try," I respond.

"But we have to save"-

"Listen to me!" I grab his shirt and pull him close. "We can't fight them in this condition!" We both glance at his left side. Although his clothing is red, all of us can distinctly see the large blood stains on it.

"Zane's right," Jay put in, "We need to treat you both and get Cole before we can do anything. We can't risk Lloyd's life. He'll be fine."

"Where is Cole?" I ask.

"He's at the bounty. We feared the snakes were up to some kind of trick, so we left him and Nya to keep watch.

I let go of Kai, who seems indignant but says to me, "Alright. Let's go." I take out my shurikens and close my eyes, trying to focus on the transformation. A building on fire appears in my mind and a boy running out of the entrance, carrying a girl in his arms. My head throbs again. I cannot concentrate at all and fall to my knees. "Zane. Are you okay?" Kai puts a hand on my shoulder. I drop the shurikens and press my hands to my head.

"What's the matter?" Jay asks worriedly.

"I….I don't know," I respond, opening my eyes. The pain lessens. Jay and Kai help me up, and Jay transforms the storm rider. Kai helps me on to it.

"Hang in there. We'll be home soon," he says and transforms in his cycle. I can tell he's in pain, but can still concentrate. Why can't I? I don't understand what these memories are or what they represent.

Thirty Minutes Later

We limp across the deck, heading toward the bridge. Poor Jay is in the middle and has both of us leaning on him. We collapse in the doorway. Cole is sitting at the table with the falcon in front of him, with an anxious look on his face. He instantly jumps out of his chair and hurries to help us up. "What happened to you?" he says as he helps Kai up.

"We went to the petting zoo and were attacked by a cockatoo," Jay says sarcastically.

"We were ambushed," I tell him as he helps Kai and me to the chairs, "I saw Lloyd, but we couldn't rescue him."

"Is he okay?"

I barely manage to read his lips. "He is fine."

Nya bursts into the room. "What happened to you?!" she exclaims and runs up to Kai. I am sitting right next to him and can see what she is saying. "Are you alright?"

"Of course I am," he lies. We stare at him and gives us a 'if you tell her' look. Nya apparently doesn't notice her brother is injured and looks at Jay. He's fine. She then turns to me, and sees the wires hanging loose from my arm. Kai stares directly at me and asks, "You never told us why you lost your hearing."

All eyes fall on me. I sigh and begin explaining to them. "When Pythor had me in that cave, he ripped out some of my wires on the video, right?" They all nod. "Well," I continue, "He tied two of my switches and somehow jammed my chest lid. I cannot open it."

Cole taps my shoulder to get my attention. "Let me try to open it," he says. I nod. Nya and Jay help me get to the farther end of the room.

"Don't rip it off its hinges," I tell him.

"Okay. Hold him."

Chapter 7

Problems

I brace myself as Cole gently takes hold of my latch. He pulls lightly. He looks surprised, which is understandable for someone who can lift cars without much muscle strain. He makes a second attempt, with 10.45 percent increased strength. It didn't budge. He pulled harder and harder, until he was at 90.95 percent. He is now at maximum capacity. Pop! Cole flew back into the window, holding my lid. The glass shatters. "Cole!" we screamed in unison. All of us, including Kai, rush to him and Jay asks, "Are you alright?"

Cole stands up as if nothing happened, "I'm fine. Uh, sorry about the hinges Zane." He sets my lid on the floor with an embarrassed expression.

"It's okay. Nya can fix it. Let's take care of one thing at a time," I respond and turn to her, "Do you think you can help?"

Nya gasps in astonishment at my snapped, mangled, and twisted wires, chaotically stuffed in my chest. "What happened to you?!" she exclaims.

"Can I explain later, afterwards?"

"Sorry," she says and shoves the chair away from the table. I sit down, while she turns to Jay, who leaves after she says something to him. She looks at me and moves her lips, "Jay is getting the tools." I nod. Soon, Jay returns, carrying a red tool box and hands it to Nya. She sets it on the floor, opens it, and rummages through its contents. She looks at me again and speaks slowly, "This may be painful. Just bear with it." I nod again. She picks up pliers and stands up. She moves the tool towards one of my switches. From the corner of my eye, I see Kai sneaking out the room. Nya knocks into a loose cable. I stifle a cry and bite my lip, flinching slightly as she proceeds. She hits another one and flinch again, wincing. "Hang in there, Zane. You're doing great. I'm almost there. I got it!" She untwists the wire that is tying my switch up. She carefully moves it back, but hits something as she takes it out. I lurch forward and cry out as pain rips through my wire, which is connected to my wounded arm. I knock into Nya and she falls back.

"I'm sorry, Zane," she tells me, "I need to get to the second one and flip the switch." She turns to the other two, who stride to either side of me and grab my arms with both hands. Nya reaches into my chest after she puts the tool down. This is embarrassing, even if I don't find Nya attractive (Jay certainly does, but perceptions differ). I can't believe I am embarrassed at all. I never am. She flips the switch and I hear nothing still.

"Can you hear me?" Jay asks.

"Yes," I reply with a smile. Nya reaches for the tool again and goes for the next one. At that moment, Kai reappears and resumes his seat. "Ow!" I scream and retch forward, but am yanked back by strong arms. After Nya removes the second one, she makes her way to the two twisted wires. She is gentle, but all her efforts to keep me from feeling pain are futile. I lurch forward again in far more intense pain. Jay and Cole have difficulty keeping me in the chair.

"Kai, we need you!" Cole shouts. Kai rushes over and grabs my right arm. I yank away and swing my fist into his side, involuntarily. Kai stumbles back and instantly puts his hand where I hit it. "Kai, what are you doing?" Cole asks and sees the blood, "Are you injured?" Kai just grabs my flailing arm again, but Jay shoves him off.

"You go rest. We've got this," Jay tells him. Nya finally gets the wires undone. I cease struggling and shut my eyes, letting my head hang.

"Zane? Are you okay?" Jay asks.

I open my eyes and mumble the words, "Keep going." Apparently, no one head my weak voice. Suddenly, the red snake alarm goes off and we exchange glances.

Chapter 8

Attack on the Bounty

The sirens are deafening. Nya runs to the monitor and shouts, "They're on the ship! It looks like there are about twenty of them on," she glances to the second monitor, "and more are coming."

"How could they get on? Wait! We left our elemental weapons! " Kai shouts back.

'Someone could have hacked the system, but that's not likely if the serpentine are here. Hang on, where did you leave it?"

"In the kitchen."

"Why did you do that?"

"Never mind that right now!"

"Okay, Cole. You're the team leader, so what's the plan?" Jay asks.

First of all, we need to get Zane out of here," he announced.

I understand why you're doing this, but I can't comply," I tell him, "We must stick together and fight. There are too many of them. I already calculated the probability." I pause.

They stare at me and Jay asks impatiently, "Well? Spit it out."

"5.67 percent."

"When the devourer attacked us, you said the probability was 8 percent. We'll be fine," Jay says.

"This is less," I state the obvious.

"Duh."

"Guys, quit arguing. Zane, do you think you can fight?" Cole asks.

"If I can put the lid back on, I think I can."

Cole picks an screw driver, four screws, and my lid off the floor and says, "We're going to need to make this quick. Kai and Jay, make sure the snakes can't get in the room. Nya, take off the ground and rock the ship to the side to make them fall off." He begins screwing my lid back on, while Jay and Kai block the door with the table and chairs. Nya presses the red button and the ship's flags expand, preparing to take off the ground. On the monitor, I can see the serpentine at the door of the bridge, banging against it. "I got it!" Cole exclaims and drops the screw on the ground. I close the lid and we both head to the door to help. We thrust ourselves against the table.

"Hurry, sis!" Kai shouts.

"We're about to take off," she announces, "Hold on!" She yanks the steering wheel to the left, causing us to slide to that side. I bump my head into the wall. The door bursts open and serpentine stream inside. Apparently, the snakes did not fall, or at least most of them didn't. The ship rocks to the right, then back left almost at the same moment. A chair slides towards me, but I see the advantage. I catch it with both hands and thrust at an armed snake. His sword penetrates through the chair and is stuck, inches from my face. I swing it to the right, knocking the Fangpyre into the wall. I flip the chair over and rip the wooden leg off; then drop chair onto the floor. Another snake with a sword charges and sweeps it at my legs. I leap over it and whack the snake in the head. I halt. This has a similar feeling to when I hit the masked man with the bat. Wait! What masked man?

"Zane! Watch out!" Kai calls and blocks a snake's sword with his own in front of me. He doesn't block it far enough, however, and it slices his left arm. The snake raises his blade. I turn and smack his head with the wood and the serpentine drops to the ground. The ship leans to the right and accelerates. I fall onto my back and slip, slamming into the other wall and losing the leg of the chair. A Hypnobrai slides towards me with circles appearing from his eyes. I shut my own and thrust my leg into the air. I feel it hit my foot and open my eyes. I stand up at the same time as the barely stunned snake and punch his face. He swings his fist. I block it and kick his stomach. The snake bends in half. I hear a loud zap behind be and whirl round to see Fangtom, with both heads hissing at me, holding a stun gun in his right hand.

Chapter 9

Five Years

The snake rushes at me with the stun gun, holding the button down. I leap aside. Someone grabs be from behind and Fangtom touches me with it. A surge of electricity shocks throughout my body. The snake holds it against my chest. I see flashes of white light and the man on the ground from my dream. The blood is on my hands and I am holding a knife. I stare at the immobile corpse. His eyes open. I freeze. He slowly stands up and pulls a little black object out of his pocket, then slowly approaches me. I hold out the knife and warn him in weak voice, "Don't come over here." He grabs my wrist and twists it. I drop the weapon and he shoves the object against me. I feel the same electric shock in me. I stumble back and everything goes black for 5 percent. I open my eyes. I'm in the bounty again. The snake behind me lets go and I drop to the ground. Kai and Jay are attacking Fangtom; Cole is fighting four Constrictai; Nya is steering the ship. The scene fades away and I see my deceased father, lying in bed, at home.

Five Years Prior: Villager's P.O.V.

I exit my door to take care of my morning duties. I have to put out fresh fruit at my stall, feed the pigs, clean out their pen, blah, blah, blah. I wish I could move to Ninjago city and attend a college, but I can't afford it. I haul the bags of fruit to my stall will difficulty. My long, brown hair dangles in front of my face. It's always in the way! I set the bags down, take a ponytail out of my pocket, and put my hair up. I reach for my bags, when my brother picks them up for me and says, "I've got this, sis." I smile as we make our way to the stall. Once he sets the bags down, he taps my shoulder and points to our right. I look and see a teen I am not familiar with, walking towards the center of the village. He collapses on the ground. My brother and I run up to him. Already, a crowd has gathered round him.

I stoop over the teen and shake him, "Wake up. Are you alright?" He opens his eyes and stares at everyone.

Zane's P.O.V.

I see all these faces gathered round me. A dark haired girl shakes my shoulder asking, "Are you okay? Where are you from?"

I stare into her brown eyes. "I don't know," I say after a moment. The crowd starts talking to each other. I sense they are astonished or perhaps confused.

"Do you remember anything, an injury or maybe something traumatic?" she questions me.

I think hard for a long while. "I don't remember anything at all," I say to her. She looks at me with pity in her lovely eyes. "Where am I?" I ask, "You are quite pretty. What's your name?"

The girl smiles sadly. "My name is Jane. This is Jamanukai Village." She turns to a teen and speaks to him for a moment, then looks back at me, "Would you like to stay with us until we find your family?" I nod and she and the boy she had spoken to, gently pull me to my feet. "This way," she says and points to a little building. It looks the same as the rest of the surrounding ones, yet one thing stands out. It has a wooden, worn out sign above the door, with a white and blue dragon painted on it. Jane opens the door and I enter into a little, white room with a table and four chairs. An elderly woman with a cane sees us. She motions to a chair and I enter with Jane and the boy.

Chapter 10

Jamanukai Villlage

I sit on the nearest chair. The elderly woman walks to a different chair with difficulty. She leans her cane against the table. I get up and grab her arms, supporting her to sit. "Thank you, young man," she says and I resume my seat.

Jane speaks in a cheerful tone, "This our grandmother, Lisa and this is my older brother, Jason."

"Greetings, Mrs. Lisa and Mr. Jason," I bow my head slightly towards the elderly lady, then at the teenager. They exchange glances, and seem to be refraining from laughing. I don't understand why.

"Nice to meet you," Mrs. Lisa responds. "You may call me Grandmother

"Same here," Jason replies, "Just call me Jason."

"What's your name?" Mrs. Lisa asks.

"I don't know," I tell her.

"What do you mean?"

"Um, well, you see," Jane began, " he has lost his memory and I told him he can stay here until we find his family. Is that alright Grandmother?"

The kind old lady put a hand close to her mouth and exclaimed, "That's terrible! Of course you can stay!"

"Thank you Mrs. Lisa," I reply.

She waves her hand dismissively, "Please call me Grandmother and no need to be polite. Although this is not much, treat this place as your home."

I nod, smiling.

"By the way, what's that round your neck?" Jason points.

I pull of what is round my neck and gaze at it. "It's a jade pendant," I tell them, "Inscribed in it is a name. It's most likely mine."

"What is it?" Jane inquires.

"Zane," I announce. Jane stares at my face for a moment. "Is something the matter?" I ask.

"No. The name suits you. Do you like it?"

"Yes, I am quite fond of it."

"Are you going to keep it as your name?"

"Yes. Is that okay with you?"

"You don't need our approval. It's your name, Zane," Jane smiles at me.

Jason gets out of his chair, "Why don't you sleep in my room? Come on, I'll show it to you." I follow him to a narrow hallway with three doors. He walks to the end one and opens it. "After you," he says. I enter. The two things it contains are a bed and a wooden crate. I don't know why, but it feels home-like to me. "You can take the bed," Jason says, "I have a few extra sheets and blankets to made a bed on the floor."

"No, Jason, I will sleep on the floor," I say to him.

"No, you're the guest, so you sleep on the bed. I insist."

"I can't do that. I insist as well."

"Zane, we'll have to find a way to agree. Why don't we arm-wrestle? You do know how right?"

"Yes, certainly. "

We pull the crate into the middle of the room and get on our knees on either side of it. "Which hand are we doing?" I ask.

"I'm left handed. You?"

"Same here." We place our left arms on the table and grip each other's hands. "On three," I say calmly, "One, two-"

"Two and a half!" Jason shouts, grinning widely.

_Why did he interrupt? _"Three."

"What are you two doing?" Jane strides into the room. Her face lights up, "Oh, keep going! I want to see!" Our arms lock tightly, muscles straining. He pushes my arm to the side slightly, but my strength counters his. I move it back and past where he had. I'm almost there. I can feel his sweaty palms hot with rigidity. Slam! I smack his hand down onto the crate.

"Aw!" Jason swings his hands in the air and then sets them back on the table, "You cheated!"

"I did?" I ask and both siblings burst out laughing. "Why are you laughing?"

"I was joking!" Jason tells me between gasps, "Of course you didn't cheat!"

"Oh," I respond, confused.

Grandmother ambles in and suggests, "Why don't you two show Zane around? After all, it's a tiny village."

"Sure," Jane says, "Come on Zane." We head outside. Thunder rumbles once we step out the front door. Dark clouds have been around all day long and it seems as if it will rain soon. The siblings show me around for about five minutes when Jane snaps her fingers and exclaims, "Ah, I forgot! I was supposed to purchase a bag of rice! I'll go and buy it really quick." She takes off in the opposite direction.

"Okay! I'll take Zane to see the tea shop!" Jason calls back. I follow him quietly for a minute or two and he stops all of a sudden in front of a gap between two buildings. "We have to pass this alleyway in order to get there."

"It's a bit dark inside," I say, "Are you certain this is the only way?" I don't know why, but I feel uneasy about going in.

"It is. Don't worry. I've been here numerous times and nothing has happened. It's empty in there."

I nervously enter the dark alley. This area seems too quiet and I sense something is not right. But what is it? I begin to turn as someone grabs me from behind and pins me to the right wall. Something cold touches back and a voice whispers, "Don't make a sound."

Chapter 11

Kidnapped?

I hold my breath, waiting for a response from whoever is behind me. " Here are my rules: do what I tell you or I'll kill you; don't make a sound or I'll kill you; don't try to run or I'll kill you. Do you understand?" a muffled, male voice whispers.

I slowly nod, my face scraping against the wall. The object is removed from my back and the man grabs my shirt. He shoves me forward to the end of the alley and pokes me with what I believe is a knife. I walk forward. Wild thoughts race through my mind. I don't know what he wants or who he is. He shoves me forward and I stumble slightly forward. We keep moving down the back of the village. Behind it are snowy mountains and a cave. I stand in front of the entrance, sensing something is inside when he shoves me forward, into the mouth of it. The interior is far darker than the alley and I cannot see anything. I blindly stumble forward, putting my hands out. After about ten minutes of going completely straight, he whispers again, sending an echo throughout the cave, "Turn left." I turn left and keep walking for about twenty seconds. "Turn right." I turn right. I see a bonfire on the right side of the cave, against the wall.

Perhaps I can use this to escape. I run forward and snatch a stick from it, scattering embers in the air. I whirl round and shove the fire-lit stick against the man's shoulder. He screeches and stumbles back, dropping the knife. The stench of burnt flesh lingers in the air. I push past him and slam into the wall. I drop the fire-lit stick or torch on the ground and the flames go out. I turn to pick up the stick. Once my fingers touch it I gasp and drop it again. My fingers burn. The man grabs my arm and sticks the knife against my throat. The bonfire dimly lights my surroundings, showing the man. He is clad in black and wears a dark cap. A mask is on his face, but I can see anger in his eyes.

"I said," he says, sounding as if through gritted teeth, "to not try to run. Try that again. I dare you." He pulls his knife away from my throat, releases me from his grip, and punches me in my gut. I bend over, hands on my stomach, gasping. He takes hold of my arm and yanks me. "Come here!" I pull as hard as I can, but cannot get away. _What do_ I do?_ He's going to kill me? _I reach down and sink my teeth as hard as I can into his arm. He lets go and I race forward; then I turn to the right, then the left. I hear his footsteps close behind and trip on something. I fall on my face and get up, but my leg is grabbed from behind. I fall again. I twist my neck round, even if cannot see and kick his face with all my strength. He lets go with one hand and I kick him again, but feel a sharp pain in my leg at the same moment. I throw him off with my leg and get up. My leg isn't injured enough for me to not to be capable of running, but there is something wrong with my foot.

Chapter 12

Murderer

The last thing I had seen was a large stone in the man's hand hitting my head. Now I am tied to a chair, back in the room with the bonfire. A tripod is in the middle of the room. I turn to my left see a girl is sitting next to me in the same position. She looks around ten or eleven years old and is unconscious. Another child is in the room. Blood is splattered on his spiked, brown hair and he is tied to a large boulder. His head is hanging down and his body is limp. He is gagged. _How come he is the only one with a cloth in his mouth? _A bloody, metal rod is on the floor in front of him. "Hey, are you alright?" I whisper. The echo bounces off the walls. The girl lifts her head slightly and looks at me. She says something, but I can't catch the words. "What did you say?"

"Leave," she speaks in a weak voice then frantically screams, "Don't move!"

"What is it?" I ask.

"If you move, you will die." I freeze. _What could it be?_

"What is it?" I repeat. The dark haired girl opens her mouth to speak, but at that moment the man enters with a camera in one hand and a knife in the other. He walks over to the tripod and mounts the camera; then strides over to the boy. He grabs the boy's hair and shakes him. The boy opens his eyes and glares at the man with contempt in his dark eyes. I feel something crawling on my shoulder and see a black arachnid out of the corner of my eye. I am not afraid of it, but I don't know if it's a black widow or not and shift slightly. The man whirls round and swinging the knife, lets it fly from his hand. I shut my eyes tightly, expecting to feel my flesh being torn at any moment. I hear it strike. I don't feel anything. I slowly open my eyes and see a knife pinned into the seat of my chair next to my leg.

The man lets go of the boy's hair are makes his way towards me. With each step he takes my heart pounds more rapidly. "Do not move or else I won't miss next time. Are we clear?" His face is inches away from mine now. "If you do, you'll end up like their mother," he says, pointing to a body in front of the bonfire. How could I have missed that? There is a female corpse, in a pool of blood. Her mouth is slightly open and her unseeing eyes are wide with terror. This man (if you can even call him one) is a sick individual with an obsession over movement.

_Should I nod or answer? Nodding would be considered a movement, wouldn't it? _"Yes, sir?" I reply.

"However, you have been too much trouble and I intend to make you pay for it," the man whispers.

He reaches down and plucks the knife out of the chair; then raises it above my leg. A hand holding a rock strikes the man's head. The murderer drops to the ground and I see the boy drop the rock and stoop over, picking up the knife. He goes to the girl and begins cutting the binds. He then goes and cuts mine as the girl stands up. The man starts to groan at the moment the ropes drop to the ground. We all start running towards the end of the room and slam into the wall again. We turn left, then right; then the boy in front halts.

The girl and I knock into each other and she whispers, "What's the matter?"

"We made the wrong turn," he whispers back. Before we can go back on the right track we hear rapid footsteps behind us and we keep running in the same direction. Perhaps there are different ways out. Right now, we have no other option, but this. The footsteps are progressively getting closer and I can't see any way out. I turn and see a torchlight and the killer not far behind. He is closing in on us. The two in front are weary and the boy in front stumbles. The girl and I help him up and I notice a stab wound in his right arm. We rush forward, but the tunnel is too narrow for three to walk abreast. I feel a hand grab my arm and look back.

Chapter 13

Tunnels

A hand covers my mouth before I can scream and all three of us are shoved into a side opening. The killer passes right by us without taking notice. Then who is the man covering my mouth? My heart pounds as I watch the light fade and wait for the murderer to depart. After perhaps ten minutes or so, the man removes his hand from my mouth. "Father, is that you?" I hear the girl whisper.

"Yes its me, Nya," the man speaks softly, "I suspected you were in here and have come to rescue you two, but first, we must take care of your brother. Is this boy alright?" He turns to me.

"I am unharmed sir. Thank you for your concern," I respond.

"Alright then. Could you and Nya guard the door?" we both nod, "Kai, sit down," he says to the boy, who obeys and sits with his back against the wall. The space is quite small and I peer round the corner. Torches light the entire passage, so it is easy for me to guard. No one is present. I glance back and see Kai's father take out a knife from his belt and start cutting the boy's red shirt. I look back and see nothing of interest or threat just the lengthy, empty tunnel. I hope there is no one else lurking about, but I doubt it. He was alone and how much effort would it be to kidnap two children? Poor Kai and Nya lost their mother to that cruel killer. I am going to find a way to stop him, but not now. We need to leave first and I ought to take some form of martial art to defend myself. I hear Kai stifling a cry and turn. His father is binding his bloody, deep wound with a portion of his blacksmith's clothing. Kai starts to scream and his father covers his mouth instantly. I hear some other sound and whirl round as quickly and quietly as I can. I lean out f the corner slightly, but see nothing. I lean out father and see a shadow advancing.

"There's someone else here," I whisper calmly and slip back in.

Kai's father just finished binding the wound and we all freeze. Sure enough, the distinct sound of footsteps can be heard. I believe the sound is from heavy boots. They are almost upon us. _Please pass us. Please pass us. _The sound stops quite close to where we are. I hardly dare to breathe. A sound of metal being drawn is heard. Kai's father slowly draws his sword. I slowly begin to back up, step by step. I am nearly to where Kai is and start to go round Kai's father. I trip on his foot and fall flat on my face. The sound echoes sickeningly loud. I get up and spin round as a woman clashes her sword against Kai's father's blade.

"Go, now!" he screams. Nya and I help Kai up and run past the woman. Once we reach the hall we halt, momentarily uncertain as to which way to go. I put Kai's shoulder round mine and Nya does likewise.

"Where do we go?" she asks frantically.

_We started towards the right I believe and the murder went the latter_, I think to myself.

"Go to the left," I say and we change our course, heading the way we had come. I hear the clashes of metal and more advancing footsteps. There are at least several people on our trail.

Chapter 14

Escape

No, there were five men and two women in the tunnel! What were we going to do? I start running as fast as I can. Kai is smaller than I but between him, Nya, and me, the height difference makes moving awkward. We stumble and drop to the ground, because we took a wrong turn and the ceiling is significantly lower. We let go of each other and start crawling on the ground. Light is on the other side but we have a lot of ground to cover. We move in single file in this order: Nya, Kai, and me. I hear the other people drop to the ground and advance as well. The glow of a torch gives the tunnel a tint of orange and red. Kai halts, panting heavily and holding his shoulder. He moves again, gasping. The pain must be unbearable. We keep moving but I can judge from the noise that the enemies are almost close enough to grab me. I feel a bit suffocated in such a tight space. Sweat drips off my forehead and my breathing is labored. Kai looks like he is about to collapse and is barely able to press on. We are almost there.

"The light is near. Keep moving; we are almost there!" I shout. Nya is out! She reaches a hand out and helps Kai. She then reaches for mine after her brother is safe. I grab her hand, when I feel a ripping pain in my leg.

"Come on!" Nya screams. I use the last of my strength to exit the tunnel. I'm out! I lie on the ground and close my eyes, but then think of the killers. I instantly open my eyes and look about me. I am next to an abandoned hut, but there is no time to bother about that. I glance at my surroundings and spot a huge, spiked, wooden circle. _Don't attempt to figure out what this is; just use it!_ I grab it and sit up, ignoring the pain and shove it against the opening. It fits perfectly. I collapse on the ground and do nothing, hearing the people scream. I lift my head enough to see my leg. It's bloody on the side of the right calf. What about Kai and Nya's father? They must have been thinking of the same thing, because they begin to get up at the moment I do. My leg is throbbing. I stand. I try to walk but can only limp slowly. Kai and Nya start moving towards the village, which is a block or two away. I follow, but cannot keep up long and the distance between us grows.

"Help!" Kai and I start screaming, while Nya runs ahead of us. We keep making noise. When we two arrive at the village, the Nya has the people stirred up already. The men were raising bamboo sticks and gathering in the middle. Nya leads them over. I see them passing by rapidly. After they left, I begin making my way, with Kai leaning on me, to Jane's dwelling. I start to feel weak and my leg is hurting with every step I take. Jason is pacing back and forth in front of the door. He stops when he spots us and hurries over.

"Zane!" he calls out. I sway to the left and Kai and I stumble. Things go blurry and both of us drop to the ground. Jason bends over me, "Are you okay? What happened to you?"

Everything goes black.

Jane hands me a cup of hot tea and gets on her knees by the bed. "Are you feeling any better?" she asks me. My head is throbbing intensely from the fall and so is my leg, but I nod anyway. She frowns, apparently not buying it. "Is that so?"

"Yes. Well, I am better than when I first woke."

She smiled, displaying her perfect, pearl-white teeth and dimples. I smile back, a bit embarrassed. It is awkward being in the same room together, alone. I don't know what to say. "Um, where is Kai?" I ask.

Her smile faded, "He's in my room, still unconscious. He is far worse off than you. He was starved and beaten. Who did this to you?"

I open my mouth to speak, when Jason bursts in the room and announces, "The villagers found Kai's father. He's dead."

Chapter 15

Cries

I drop the cup in horror. It shatters on the wood floor, like a broken heart. Poor Kai and Nya; what will they do now that their parents are gone? "Did you apprehend the murderers?" I ask.

Jason shakes his head. "By the time they reached the cave, they were already gone. The villagers searched the place and found the children's mother. She died of a fatal stab wound to the heart."

"I wish…. I could have done something to save them," I say in a low voice.

"There was nothing you could have done. Don't blame yourself, Zane," Jane touches my arm lightly, "You could have been killed as well."

Suddenly, a long, piercing wail is heard outside. The cry is that of a young girl, most likely Nya. I start to get out of bed and both Jane and Jason help me up. They help me outside and I see Nya, in front of two mats, crying. Each has a white sheet, covering the bodies of what I presume are her beloved parents. My heart is in my throat. The poor girl lost both parents in such a short duration. I limp over to her and put a hand on her thin shoulder. She yanks the sheet off the corpse of her mother. The woman's black hair is bloody and scattered on the ground. Her body has a stench of rotting flesh. I should not cover my nose; it is disrespectful. Nya grabs the woman's hand and puts it to her face. I stand there, not knowing how to comfort her. She cradles the hand against her face for what seems an eternity; then the villagers collect the bodies. When they lift the mat up, she holds onto it, pleading earnestly, "Please don't take them away! Don't take them from me!"

I grab her and hold her tight, saying nothing. She struggles to break free from my grasp, but eventually drops on the ground, sobbing. She gets up, turns round, and wraps both arms round me, tightly. I grimace, in pain from standing on my wounded leg too long and shift my weight to my other leg. We stand here for about five minutes, then she suddenly lets go and pulls away. "How is Kai?" she asks, while wiping her tears.

I open my mouth, but hesitate. Her parents are dead and her brother is sick and in pain. How can I tell her that? "You ought to see for yourself," I say to her, "He is the house." I point to my abode, not far away. She breaks into a run and I limp after her. Jason and Jane must have re-entered the house, because they are in Jane's room, when we enter. Kai is unconscious, pale, and bleeding profusely. A physician is bent over him, checking his pulse.

"Kai, can you hear me?" Nya asks.

"He'll be fine," I say quietly, "Let the physician listen to his pulse. He needs everything to be quiet. Kai will be alright."

Nya nods and latches onto my arm. She squeezes me until her fingers are white. The doctor finally stands up and retrieves his medicine box from the floor, and turns to us, announcing, "The boy will be alright. He needs herbs, nutrition, and rest. His wound is deep, but he should be fine, with the proper care."

The man writes down the prescription and exits the room. Nya lets go of my arm and drops to her knees by the bedside. "Kai," she speaks softly, "you need to rest well, okay? Don't worry about Mom and Dad. I saw them." She chokes on her tears and holds his hand. I quietly leave the room and shut the door behind me. I wonder where my parents are, or even if they are alive. I have to know. I clench my fist and grit my teeth as I leave the house. I need to explore the cave again. . I have to find that killer, before he strikes again.

Chapter 16

Investigation

I stare at the entrance of the cave. The air is chilly and only brings the rotting corpses and lonely siblings to my mind. I suck in as much air as I can and enter the cave, quivering slightly. I halt as my foot touches the stony ground, hesitant. _What if they are back in there? No, they couldn't be. They departed in order not to be caught and wouldn't risk returning. Would they? These killers are unpredictable, so I better be cautious._ I turn and observe my surroundings, searching for anything I could use as a weapon. A sword is on the ground, next to my foot and I stoop down, picking it up with difficulty. It is a bit heavy for me and I hold it clumsily as I limp into the cave. Moving quite cautiously, I slowly make my way through the tunnel and go straight for a while. There are other entrances and tunnel in the area, far more then I noticed prior to the abduction. Which way do I go first? It would be best to keep going straight. Who knows how easily one can get lost in here? I follow the path until I reach an area where there are three directions in which I can go. The man must have made me move into a different left opening, before this one. I grab one of the torches that is lighting the cave and select the middle tunnel.

_After all, if I go straight, I will know where I have gone the entire time, _I think to myself. I sense something is not right in this place, as if it is not abandoned. _Perhaps this is my imagination. _I attempt to convince myself, but cannot shake off the feeling of someone or something, watching me, somewhere nearby. I glanced around frequently, flinching at every sudden, typical cave sound. It is strange that there are no bats in here, not even a sign of animal droppings or food, anywhere. Perhaps the people residing here had cleaned out this particular area to dwell in. I arrive in an open space and lean against the wall. I have been on my injured leg for too long and carefully sit on the ground. I set my sword beside me. I lift my leg pant slowly and examine the exterior of the bandage. It is soaked with blood.

I notice scratch marks on the ground that trail close to the end of the room. I lower my leg pant and stand back up. Limping to the end of the room, I see a throw rug, placed randomly on the floor. Or was it? I set the blade down and lift the rug. Underneath is a stone square that looks like a large tile, made from the cave, I suspect. Two metal handles are on either side of it. I bend over and grab both handles, lifting it up off the ground, finding it surprisingly light; I remove it and set it aside. There is a flight of stone stairs that lead down underground. Suddenly, two hands push me from behind. I see the stairs rushing up to meet me and I can tell this is going to be bad.

Chapter 17

Jason

My face smacks the stone. In a matter of seconds, I am rolling on my side down the cold steps, wondering if my bones are going to break. I land on the floor in agony. My leg must be worse off than before and the room rocks back and forth. A face is over me. At first everything is too blurry for me to recognize who it is, but everything starts to clear soon.

"Jason, is that you?" I ask weakly, "Help me, please." I extend my bloody hand to him, trembling violently. Jason smiles and grabs me by both arms. He yanks me all the way up and slams me against the wall. I bite my lip in intense pain. _What is he doing?_ "Jason, what's going on?" I speak in a confused tone. He gets in my face, his garlic breath is overwhelming and I wrinkle my nose in distain. His dark eyes stare at me for a long duration.

"What do you know?" he says to me. My heart pounds rapidly as he pulls a gun out of his belt. It had been concealed the entire time! Where would he get it? He holds it to my forehead.

"I-I just discovered this place. That's all I-I have s-seen," I respond, trying to put up a false pretence of fearlessness, but my words come out as a mix of stuttering. "Jason, what-"

"Don't move," he sternly warns me, tapping my head with the gun, "Now, listen to me carefully; you never saw me nor the secret underground hideout. You fell make up whatever plausible excuse for why you are in this condition. " He taps me with the gun again, "Are we clear, Zane?"

I nod slowly. I hate to do this, but I can investigate this later. In order to do that, I must avoid being shot in the head.

We arrive at the doorstep. It is dark and began to pour not long after we exited the cave. Jason lets go of my arm and I drop on the ground. He bends down and whispers in my ear, "Call for help in two minutes." He takes off, round the back of the house, while I lie there, counting to 120 seconds. When I reach two minutes, I roll painfully onto my side and knock against the bottom of the door. No response. Perhaps I didn't knock loudly enough. I knock more fervently, but produce little sound. I hear footsteps approaching the door and someone unlocking it. The door swings open and slams into my midsection. "Who is it?" Jane asks, then gasps when she sees me, "Zane, I'm so sorry; I didn't see you! Are you okay?" I let out a low groan.

Jason comes out, pretending to gasp in shock and stoops down, grabbing my arms. He helps me up and takes me into the house. Nya and Grandmother are sitting at the table, talking quietly. Both siblings lay me across the table. Nya gets out of her chair instantly and asks Jane, "What happened to him?"

"I don't know. I found him outside the door, already in this condition," Jane responds then turns to me, "What happened, exactly?"

This is what I have been dreading. What can I say? I can't say that your brother is part of the murder plot and threw me down a flight of secret stairs. "It was," I begin, "One of the killers from the cave." They stare at me, mouths open. My stomach drops. I am pinning the blame on the murderers of Nya and Kai's parents. I feel guilt creeping up on me.

Chapter 18

School

It's been two months since the incident and Kai just awoke this morning. Both he and his sister don't have any other family and are staying with us. Jason has been acting as if nothing happened when around others. When we are alone, he taunts and beats me. I wear long sleeves to cover the bruises and scars from him. Jane is oblivious to what has been going on. I am going to school today for the first time as far as I can remember, of course and since there is only one school in the village and I am hoping I won't end up in the same classes as Jason. I took a special test to determine what grade I am in and discovered I am in eighth grade. Kai has two weeks to recuperate before he can attend. I enter my classroom, carrying my backpack on one shoulder and rubbing my sweaty fingers from my free hand together. My eyes scan the room, wondering where I ought to sit and see that Jane takes a seat in the second to the back row, at the very left end. I sit next to her. Teens pour into the room and sit in random spots. While putting my things into my desk, I look up to see Nya sit in the very back row, with her head down. Her lovely black hair in un-kept and she looks empty. I couldn't blame her. She lost both parents only three weeks ago and now has to cope with life, bereft of her loved ones. She has barely seen Kai either. I ought to pay extra attention to her. The teacher enters and sets her books where they go.

She claps her hands together and speaks cheerfully to everyone, "My name is Mrs. Anna and I will be your teacher. Okay, class. We have two new students present today. Come to the front and introduce yourselves please."

Nya and I reluctantly make our way to the front. "My name is Zane," I say awkwardly.

"What is your last name?" the teacher asks.

_Oh, great. Just what I need are a group of teens, making fun of the fact that I don't even know who I am. _I swallow nervously, and respond, "I don't know."

"What do you mean?" Mrs. Anna inquires.

"I lost my memory," I simply state after taking a deep breath.

The majority of class erupts with laughter and the teacher puts a hand up. "Class, don't make fun." She turns to Nya and asks, "And you?"

"Nya Cai," Nya speaks quietly.

"Alright, return to your seats please." Mrs. Anna instructs us.

We resume our seats as the teacher begins Math class. Afterwards we went to Literature. We read quite an interesting story called 'A Man and the Snake'. We did several other classes and nothing much occurred until recess. At least Jason wasn't in any of them. Jane remained at the class, saying she had to do something. There is no playground at the school, just a fenced-in area with a few trees. A wooden plank and rope are tied to one of the branches as a make shift swing. The teens start doing stunts on the trees. Jason arrives and calls to me, smirking, "Hey, Zane, you going to join us?"

He is with a group of five teens; they are climbing the topmost branches and jumping off. I shake my head and turn to Nya. She is sitting against the smallest tree, alone, doing nothing. I walk over to her and put a hand on her shoulder, speaking softly, "Are you alright? Do you want me to sit with you?"

She shakes her head and responds, hardly audibly, "No, but thank you for your offer Zane."

"Hey, Zane!" I turn and see Jason with the group, approaching me. I stride over, uncomfortably, wondering if he would dare do anything to me in public. I suppose he can since Jane isn't present. I clutch the side of my pants, hoping nothing happens.

Chapter 19

Bullied

"Yes? Can I help you?" I ask.

"Zane, why aren't you climbing that tree?" Jason taunts me, "Don't forget what I said." He forms a gun with his fingers and pretends to shoot my head, smiling. Oh, yeah, when you reach the top, jump off."

_Oh no. I do not want to do this. _I reluctantly go to the middle tree and stand in front, debating on whether or not I will comply. The thought of Jason flared up with all of his weapons he keeps in that crate in his room does not settle well with me. I lightly touch the trunk with my hand, thoughtfully. I can hear the teens chuckling behind me_. I don't care what they think. That's not it. If I do what he says, he won't beat me when we arrive home, right? Fat chance._ I grasp the fist branch with both hands and begin shimmying up the tree. When I reach the top I just stand there, staring at the ground over ten feet below.

"Hey, Hawthorn. Hurry up and jump. We don't have forever, you know," one of the boys teases me.

_If you are going to call me a name at least pick the right name of the tree I'm climbing. _I lean forward, while they taunt me, saying that I won't do it.

"Zane!" Jason calls, "If you don't jump before Jane gets back, you're going to get it from me! Just wait and see!" Nya glances up at me and shakes her head.

I suck in my breath, my hands sweaty from my grip on the branch. I don't think this is a big deal, however, we have rules at school. I leap off. My stomach drops as my feet hit the ground. The impact brings me down on one knee.

"Come here," Jason grabs my arms and pulls me up. _What's he doing?_ I believe I scraped my knee, but it's no big issue. Taking care of it can wait.

"Where are we headed to?" I ask.

He doesn't reply, but he and his group of lackeys and Nya, follow us into the headmaster's office. Jason releases me from his grip and shoves me in front of the headmaster's desk. A man with glasses is hunched over in his chair, reading a book. The man's name plate reads Mr. Grey Neilson. He looks up and sets his book on a small coffee table next to him; then folds his hands on the desk. "Alright, what's going on here?" he inquires expectantly.

"Mr. Neilson," Jason says, "Zane jumped off the highest tree at the playground. We tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen, so we've come to report this to you."

"Really?" he eyed Jason suspiciously.

"Yes, sir. My friends are witnesses."

The bullies nod in unison and Nya bursts out, "How can you say that you tried to stop him? You guys told him to and jumped off yourselves!"

_If Nya stands up to Jason, he'll get revenge on her somehow. I have to stop her. _"No, I did it of my own accord. It has nothing to do with them." Nya shoots me a questioning look.

The headmaster gave me a warning, but didn't suspend me. I know Nya and I will have a talk after we complete our homework. I wonder how Jason will respond. After I finish my school, I go into the room I've been sleeping in and think it's time to get rid of Jason's gun. I shut the door behind me and open the crate. I rifle through the contents until I find the weapon. I close the lid and slip the gun under the bed. I will take care of it tonight, when everyone is asleep. Footsteps approach the door. I whirl round as Jason enters. He shuts the door and locks it. _Uh oh. This can't be good._

When he turns, I can sense the rage in his eyes. He slowly approaches me, smiling, and says, "Keep Nya from running her mouth, or else you both will suffer the consequences. I'm going to vent my frustration on you today though. I'm in a bad mood."

Chapter 20

Attempt

He strides towards me. I move aside, but he turns my way, slowly backing me up into the back left corner of the room. I hit the wall and know what will happen. He grabs me by my shirt and pins me hard. Although I am tall for my alleged age, Jason is about six feet and is a big teen. He swings me and slams me onto the bed, knocking the breath out of me. I cough from the impact. He raises a fist and jabs my mid-section with extreme force. No matter how many times he does this, I cannot get used to it at all. I place both hands against my stomach, gasping in pain. Jason raises his fist again_. I can't take this anymore. _I roll to the side and off the bed, landing on top of the crate. Jason's eyes flare up and he swings his leg into my side, sending shooting pain in my rib cage. I fall backwards, tripping on the crate and land on my back. I immediately get up and raise my arm, blocking a strike, aimed for my head.

"You dare defy me?" Jason pulls out a hidden knife from the back of his belt and points it at me. "Go ahead, try to get away. Just try."

"You don't have to do this," I attempt to persuade him, "If you stab me, or kill me, wouldn't everyone suspect you?"

"You're right, Zane. I'm not going to do either of those."

_I don't like the sound of this. _"Then what are you going to do?"

Jason smiles wryly and flips the blade upside down. He swings it at my arm and I pick up the lid of the crate at the same moment. He slices it in two; then grabs my arm, turning me to the side. He swings the blade in an upward motion, slashing my left arm. He releases me from his grip and tosses the knife under the bed. I grab my arm, wincing. "Hey, Hawthorn," he says, chuckling, "You might need this for your arm and remember, I have a lot more blades you don't know of." He pulls a white shirt out of the crate and throws it to me. It lands next to me.

He exits the room, closing the door behind him. _How do I take care of this_? I stare at my bloody arm and take my hand off it. I carefully remove my shirt, though it inevitably rubbed against the gash. After it is off, I take the white shirt and tear it into a long strip. I put one end in my mouth, the other I hold in my right hand and begin tying it round my wound, gritting my teeth. I wipe the blood up from the floor with my shirt; then slide the rest of the white shirt and my other one under the bed. _Man, there's going to be a pile under there if I don't get rid of the knife and gun. _I hear more footsteps approaching.

I hear Jane's voice just outside the room, calling me, "Zane, can I come in?"

She knocks on the door. _I better hurry up! _I grab another shirt from the crate and hastily put it on. "Just a moment," I say to her.

"It's alright. I just came to let you know dinner's ready and could you help me with Kai? He's going to eat with us tonight."

"Okay." I carefully get up and make sure there is no blood on me. I exit the door and go to the room next to this. Jane has to sleep in Grandmother's room and Kai and Nya sleep in here.

Supper was awkwardly silent. No one has told Kai about his parents yet. I need to wait a little longer to be certain Jason is asleep. I pull the blanket over my head, growing anxious and impatient every passing minute. I hear the clock ticking in the room for what seems an eternity. Jason never stirs. I pull the blanket back down and slowly get on my hands and knees. I glance up at Jason, who is snoring slightly. I need to make haste, because the burial for Kai and Nya's parents is tomorrow in the evening. I also have school. I lower my head and stretch out my good arm, groping for the weapons. I touch the edge of the blade and it nicks my finger. I ignore it and grab the knife, then search for the gun. After I have both in my hands, I look at the clock above Jason's bed. _12:30 A.M. Well, I better move, now. _I get up and sneak to the door, cracking it open, inch by inch, my heart beating wildly. The door creaks slightly and I halt. No one stirs. A feather dropping would be loud in here. I hold my breath and slip through the doorway.

Chapter 21

Disposal

I walk silently through the little house, fearing I will wake someone up with every step I take. The floorboards creak and groan underneath my weight. I am blessed that the house is not large, making leaving swifter than a mansion, however, it's more difficult to leave without anyone taking notice. As I near the doorway, I hear a creak behind me and see a shadow from the hallway. Without much thought, I dive underneath the table and lay, motionless. I shouldn't have done that. My arm is shooting with pain and I feel the blood spreading down my sleeve. _Please, go back to bed. _I see someone's feet turn and go back into the hallway. The light soon disappears and I creep out from under the table; then I make it to the front door. I unlock it and slip out. I glance to the left, then right, unsure of where to go. _Where do I dispose of it? _I could leave it at the abandoned shed near the cave since it's not far away. I make my way to the alley and hear a cocking sound behind me. I whirl round and see Jason, pointing a at my head and drop the knife in surprise. I point the gun I have at him in wild desperation.

"How did you-" I start to speak but he cuts me off.

"Do you think I am a fool?" Jason smirks, "I knew you would do it, and, besides, that isn't even a real gun, Zane. You will pay for this, you little rat!"

At that moment, we both hear a sound of something shattering. _Here's my opportunity. _I grab the knife upside down, while dropping the fake gun at the same moment, and knock into Jason's head with the butt end. I race towards the house and see Kai and Nya running towards me.

"Zane! Some men have broken in the house!" Kai shouts then looks at my assailant, who is on the ground, "What happened to Jason?"

"I'll explain later, but let's check this out first," I respond and we all run to the rear of the house. We enter through the back door and slip into Jason's room as three men come in the hallway, with knives. Someone screams and without hesitation, I burst out the door, with Kai and Nya in the rear. I whisper to him, "There are knives in Jason's crate in the room. Go get them. I hurry into Grandmother's room and discover a horrific sight. Blood is spurted all over the wall and the three men have their backs turned to me. Jane's body is there.

Chapter 22

Death

"No!" I scream and hurry to Jane's limp body, and drop the knife. I cradle her in my arms, crying.

The men turn towards me with merciless eyes and the one in the middle speaks to the others. "Get the old woman and the two children. I've got this one."

Two of the masked men take off._ They're going kill Grandmother!_ _I have to save her. _I glance at my surroundings and see a bat next to the bed. It ought to be more useful than a knife, because of its reach. I let go of Jane's body and grab the bat. I leap up and scream as Grandmother enters the room, "Call the police!" I swing the weapon at the man, who grabs the bat and yanks it away from me. I back up as he walks briskly towards me, fearing the worst. If he killed Jane, why couldn't he kill me? I look down at the knife beside my foot, wondering if I can reach it on time. The man swings the knife at my face. I duck and reach down, grasping the knife and driving it at his leg. He leaps back a few feet. I move to the side, grab the bat, and bolt towards the door, halting in the hallway. Grandmother is on the ground, eyes closed. Two men stoop over her body, chuckling. I race towards them in burning fury. If they killed my family, then I will kill them.

I slash the first man in the shoulder with the knife and swing the bat at the other. The second man ducks and knees my side. I drop both weapons as he kicks me and I fall on my back. The leader comes up from behind. I see his masked face over me, raising the knife above my head. I roll but knock into someone's leg as he drives the weapon down. I feel a sharp pain in my shoulder and hear them speaking in muffled voices. I attempt to get up as they stand over me, taunting me.

Suddenly, the man I had injured and the other man drop to the ground. I blink. Kai and Nya are here, with kitchen knives in their hands. The man behind me bolts to the back door. I get up with difficulty, grabbing the knife, and we pursue him as swiftly as possible. Once we're outside Kai tells us to split up. It begins pouring and lightning flashes. I race to the alley and spot the man running in there. _Why does everything occur here?_

I sneak behind him and stare at his back. It's quite simple. I could stab him in the back like nothing, or I could tell the villagers. I raise the blade, but freeze. I can't do it; I can't kill a human, even if he doesn't deserve to even be considered one. The man whirls round and I thrust the blade into the man's chest, instinctively. His eyes widen as draw out the knife and he drops to the ground. _Did I kill him?_

I nervously glance at the unconscious man on the ground in front of me. Rain drenches my cold, shivering body. My head throbs in rhythm with the booming thunder. I look at his face, feeling fear creep into the very corners of my wounded heart. I stare at my hand. I am holding a knife. Though I know it is not my own, I cannot help but wonder why I killed him. I would never do this to anyone but, I cannot deny the fact that there is blood on my hands. I look at my soaked shoulder, feeling intense pain and sickness. Everything turns black and I feel myself hit the hard ground.

I open my eyes to blinding light. Everything is blurred, but I can see brown above me. Things start coming into focus and I see Kai, leaning against the bed I am on, fast asleep. He's older now and seems healthier than previously. I am in my room I share with the other ninja, in the bounty. Now I know why I did not realize I was a robot. My father gave me fake blood so I could be human-like, so people would accept me. The human blood and other such things deactivated once I opened up my chest after my father passed away. Jay opens the door and exclaims with delight, "Zane's awake!"

The others rush in and gather round me, while Kai wakes up. "Are you alright, Zane?" Nya asks.

I nod, taking notice of Nya's hair. It was prettier and longer when she was younger. However, it seems a bit longer than when the snakes attacked.

"How are you feeling?" Cole asks.

"I'm fine," I say to them, "I just feel a little light-headed at the moment. What happened?"

"Just lay down and we'll explain everything," Kai says to me. I obey them.

"We fought the snakes off, but you were in terrible condition. You already had ripped out wires and were electrocuted, but to add to the overall damage, you were hit with a stun gun. We didn't think you were going to make it," Kai speaks softly.

"Yeah, we found Pythor's hideout and your wires and gears," Jay informs me, "It took Nya and me a lot of work, even with your blueprints to repair you."

"What about Lloyd?" I ask.

Cole shakes his head and says, "The place was abandoned when we arrived and we haven't been able to rescue him ever since. Sensei hasn't returned nor have we discovered the mysterious Samurai's identity."

"How long have I been out?" I inquire.

"A week," Jay responds.

Two weeks have passed since I woke and I have recorded down my extra forgotten memories in a diary. Kai and Nya never seemed to recognize me when we first met, so I suppose they either do not wish to remember the past or they really don't remember. I am not prepared to have a discussion with them just yet. Jason was never found, nor was Nya and Kai's parent's murderers. We still get snake alerts and have been attempting to get a fang blade, but so far have not succeeded. Kai, Cole, and I did a prank on Nya and Jay this morning, during class. It was hysterical. An alarm goes off suddenly. "Hey, Zane, we spotted Pythor at the Mega Monster Amusement Park!" Kai calls to me.

"I'm coming!" I shout and leave the diary on the table.

A Nindroid's Tears: Forgotten 2

Chapter 1

Alone Forever

"I am sorry," I hear Cyrus Borg's despondent voice speaking hesitantly, "I have tried all that I am capable of, but-he cannot be saved."

"What do you mean?" Kai demands.

"Is this my fault?" Pixal's soft voice inquires, "If I return Zane's heart to him, will he be alright?"

Cyrus responds quietly, "No, even if you returned his other half of artificial heart to him, he would still, inevitably, die. We were too late."

"No, he can't die!" Jay's voice causes my ears to ring as I hear a scuffling noise and sobbing.

_Am I going to die? What is going on? _I try to open my eyes, yet strangely find them shut tightly; I feel weak; I cannot speak, but just listen in utter disbelief as my family discuses my coming demise.

"Please, Zane, don't leave us," I feel Lloyd's hand stroking my hair and hear his voice whispering into my ear, filled with sorrow.

"How could-how could I have forgotten about him and left him like that?" Cole blames himself.

"Why did we go to a remote area anyway?" Kai speaks indignantly, "This is not fair!"

I hear something shatter and Nya's voice about a few feet away, "Kai, please calm down."

"But, he doesn't deserve this! Why should he suffer for our mistakes? Zane can't die because of us!"

"I know Kai, but sometimes, life is like this. One moment we are here, the next we are gone. Zane is our family, but this is one of those times when we need to do what is best for him," Sensei Wu tells the fire ninja.

"What do you mean by that?" Kai shouts.

"He will die anyway, but if we do not pull the plug, he will die a very slow and painful death."

_Pull the plug? They are going to kill me? _I struggle to move or scream, or even lift a finger. Nothing; I might as well be dead already, but I don't wish to die. I wish to live. Lloyd moves his hand out of my hair and I feel a cold hand gently stroke my face. It is Pixal; I know it is she.

"I love you Zane. You understand, don't you?" she asks me.

I want to tell her something, to comfort her, to reassure her I do love her and understand, but I don't respond.

"Zane, please understand why we are doing this, we love you, forever," Sensei Wu says solemnly. I sense everyone is gathered close by me and I know what this has come to. I will be turned off permanently, to be alone, forever. The one thing I never told my family is that if they do not use my switch to turn me off, I will perceive everything around me, but in a coma-like state, living on and on, with utter loneliness, not being able to respond.

_If they are going to kill me, I hope they use my switch. Wait! I do not have one anymore after the incident with Jason and his droids. _I feel a hand touching something connected to me being fingered, and slowly being pulled out. _No! _They pull it. I am gone, forever, in the blink of an eye. I am dead. I hear the others cry hysterically and tears dropping on my hands, hair, and face as my family laments over my enslaved body. _Why, why, why? I would rather be dead than trapped! _I lay on some hard object-most likely a table-for who-knows-how-long, listening to their wails.

"Zane, Zane, Zane! No!" Kai screams, the sounds of his agony and loss ripping my dead heart to shreds. I slowly drift to sleep.

I wake up, but find I cannot open my eyes, nor can I move, nor can I speak. I suddenly remember that I am dead, yet I hear not a single trace of life. I lie here for a long, long time, straining for any noise from the others. All I perceive at the moment is the ticking of a clock. Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, until I am at the brink of going mad; someone's footsteps are outside the room and a door opens. Something is being moved and the footsteps recede and the door closes again with a click as it is locked. Whoever came in removed the clock, and now I feel even lonelier without any sound whatsoever. Nothing is here, not even an insect. They have abandoned me.

Chapter 2

I Was Dead

I do not know how long it has been since they pulled the plug; however, I am certain someone will come in here, or at least, I hope so. I slowly drift back into sleep.

_I am suddenly in a quite snowy place, with a cool drift blowing on my confused face. I turn to see a breathtakingly beautiful mountain, the peaks of it tipped with white. The place is quiet, tranquil, and no one is here. I breathe deeply, the lovely air from the weather filling my artificial lungs and I gaze to see an owl, sleeping soundly in a branch of a tree. I smile, but then wince as I feel a sharp pain in my right leg and I drop on the ground. I sit up and attempt to stand, only causing more pain when I apply more pressure to my limb._

_ "Kai, Jay, Lloyd, Sensei, Cole, Nya, anyone?" I call, cupping my hands round my mouth. I hear nothing but echoes throughout the vast area, lined with many birch trees, and something in the distance. It advances rapidly and I see a large van rushing towards me. I shout and frantically wave my arms to get the driver's attention. It doesn't stop and I see headlights blinding me for an instant; then something hits me. Searing pain courses through my body as I fly through the air. I close my eyes._

I try to open them, but find the pain has vanished and I am lying on the table. I sigh inwardly with relief. _It was only a dream, or was it? _Sweat rolls down my forehead and I wish I could wipe it off, yet I feel a cloth on my head, wiping it off. _Who is it?_

"I wish we had not gone with the others on that trip," Pixal speaks softly to herself, "Why does he have to die?" My heart tears into 1,000 pieces as her usually monotone voice sounds strained with grief.

**A Year Later**

Nothing has happened, nothing, for so long, I want to rip my vital cords out and die, no matter how painful my passing. My family has forgotten me. No one has come here to visit me for a lengthier time than I can fathom. Even Pixal's visits dwindled, and have now ceased altogether, leaving me without a loved one in my black world of despair. I do not have any hope left in my circuitry, no love, no movement, no pulse, nothing but the torture of hearing. Every sense is dull now, and I feel locked up, rusty, ancient even. Creak! I suddenly hear some sort of movement above me, perhaps the floorboards creaking by a rat treading on it. I hope it is someone I know, or something to kill me, yet I sense it is not an animal, nor a human.

I lie here waiting as a door creaks on rusty hinges and footsteps approach, sounding hesitant. A hand gently touches my hair, smoothing it out softly, in a feminine manner. _Pixal, is that you? _

"Zane, I am sorry. Things have changed so much that I-I cannot bear to live without you. I cannot bear to face the fact that you are gone. You and Mr. Borg are the only ones that have ever cared for me, yet you are gone and my creator's days are numbered. I am coming to join you."

It has been so long since she has been here that I feel a pulse come from my energy source. A single pulse, that dies down in a matter of moment. _I hope she understands what is happening to me. Please don't die because of me! _I use all of my willpower and lift a finger, two more pulses coming from my heart.

"Zane?" Pixal gasps.

Chapter 3

Solemn Tidings

_Please, please, please, move! _I scream at my body, attempting to move more in order to prove what is going on, yet nothing is working. _No, no, no, no, please! _My mouth opens and I let out a soft whisper of 'no', hoping with all my soul that she hears me.

"Zane, can you hear me?" Pixal cries out, grasping my hands, her own trembling. My eyes fly open and I see my first love's face bending over me, her dark green eyes moist, a tear rolling down her cheek. I do not recall her ever having the capability of crying before, but something is different about her, though it has seemed as if I have not seen her for ages and ages. "Zane, you are alive!" she screams, wrapping her arms round me, burying her lovely face in chest, sobbing. I know now. Her metal hair is shaped into a long rosette, going down, nearly elbow length, and she is dressed differently as well. When she pulls away I can see her clad in a white dress going past her feet, with sliver trim and glitter. Roses decorate it, as well as her hair, and a silver ring with a white diamond adorns her finger.

_Is she marrying someone else? Wait! that is the ring I bought for her, and the wedding dress we picked out. _"Y-your c-c-l-loth-thing," I manage to say with great difficulty.

"Oh, I am wearing the dress, because I wanted to feel as if today were our wedding day, since we had not had the chance to be together. Zane, forgive me for leaving you for six months!" she takes my hands in hers.

"S-six m-months?" I ask in disbelief.

"You have been gone for-a year."

"A year?!" I exclaim, finding my voice stronger, "Where are my brothers? What happened to them?"

At the mention of my family, Pixal's eyes widen and she looks down, saying softly, "Jay and Nya are married and have a baby girl about two weeks old; Lloyd, Misako, and Garmadon are living together as a family should, but Sensei is with them, and he's-empty."

"Empty? What do you mean?"

"He sits in his room all day, not responding to anyone, and all he will say is 'Where is Zane? He has been gone a long time.' Cole is moving in with Kai, who has a wife, who has been pregnant for eight months with twins; aboy and a girl. You will need to see Kai. He….he is not well."

"Why? What's the matter with him?" I ask fearing many probabilities.

"You need to see him."

We had gone to Pixal's apartment so she could change into normal clothing, and then drove to Kai's house, located not too far into New Ninjago city. Pixal knocks softly on the door of a one floor dwelling; and a young blond lady answers the door. "Pixal, come in!" I follow both women into a plain, peach colored living room, with two red couches and a love seat, and a coffee table in front of it. "Please, sit down and I will go get Kai." Pixal and I take a seat on the couch and I glance around. Next to us is a fireplace with pictures of everyone and Kai's new family. I wince, grabbing my shoulder. Although Pixal gave me oil, my joints still ache, sometimes almost unbearably and I redirect my focus to outside the window, seeing lovely snowflakes raining. Eventually, Kai slowly enters the room and I turn to see he is paler than before, and seems sickly. I stand up; when he notices me, his dark, brown eyes well up with tears and he rushes forward, wrapping both arms round me weakly, exclaiming, "Zane, you're alive!"

"He is Zane?" his wife stares at me with a confused expression.

Kai pulls away from me after a few moments and says, while wiping away the tears, "I'm sorry. I forgot to introduce you two. Zane, this is my wife, Melissa. Melissa, this is my brother-the one I told you was dead-Zane."

"I've seen you before, at the beach and the mall, didn't I?" I ask her.

"Oh, you were there. Yes, I was," Melissa's cheeks turn slightly pink from embarrassment, and she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "What happened to your face?"

"My face?" I question her.

I glance at Pixal to see her shaking her head at Melissa, giving her an anxious look. "Um, would any of you like something to drink?" Melissa offers.

"No thank you," I respond, not feeling the desire to have anything in my stomach at the moment.

"We'll be fine," Pixal responds.

All three of us sit down and I ask Kai's wife, "How are your twins?" I ask.

At the mention of her children, she smiles, touching her stomach thoughtfully, "They are great, thank you."

I smile back, yet it shoots pain up my jaw, causing me to flinch and the others glance at me. "Are you alright?" Pixal puts a hand on my shoulder. I nod and there comes a knock on the door. Pixal gets up and offers, "I'll get it." I stare at Kai. His color doesn't look good, and I sense he is hiding something from me by the way he is keeping to himself.

"Are you ill?" I take a direct approach, the only one a robot knows.

He gazes at me and the corners of his mouth lift up slightly and he manages to say, "You've always been one to get what is going on."

Kai retches, spitting blood all over the carpet, while Melissa rushes to the kitchen nearby. "Kai!" I exclaim, not knowing what to do, but grab his arm. He covers his mouth, couching violently, and takes his hand away to see it covered in more blood. Melissa hurries back with a bucket and a roll of paper towels while Cole runs up to us.

"What's the matter with him?" Cole inquires.

"I don't know!" Melissa shouts, "He told me was feeling better and was-the throwing up had ceased, but now he's puking and couching up blood!"

"How long has he been like this?" I ask.

"For several months," Pixal responds.

"Several months? We need to get him to the hospital, now! I'll drive since I cannot do much of anything else. Cole, can you get him in?"

"Alright," Cole replies, lifting Kai off the ground. I rush to the door, grabbing the keys from Pixal, open it, and hurry outside to the hover car, fumbling with the lock. It turns with a click and I open all the doors as the others come out and get in the driver's seat. I shove the keys in the ignition desperately, twisting it, turning the vehicle on as everyone gets in. I don't even bother buckling in my seat belt and swerve the car round the corner of the neighborhood, driving insanely.

_Please make it, Kai. You have to._

Chapter 4

Emergency

_Please, please, turn green! _I tap the steering wheel nervously, waiting at the red light while cars casually drive by, oblivious to our plight. The light turns green and I press on the gas, speeding through traffic. I hear a loud beeping sound and turn to my left to see a truck heading our way and I swerve, but it's too late. The vehicle slams into my window with tremendous impact, forcing me to fly out of my seat and smash through more glass, shards everywhere as I pass through Pixal's passenger window. I hit something hard, feeling pain in my jolting body as I crash on the asphalt. I lay face upward, staring into the sky and slowly get up, severe pain in shoulder as I attempt to stand. A swoon rushes over me and I stumble forward, leaning against the wrecked car and peer through the window.

Pixal opens her door, shoving the air bag out of her way, coming out perfectly fine, except a bit of wires are exposed on her arm. Melissa opens her eyes with a gasp as I open the back door, and she comes out without a scratch, thankfully. Cole puts Kai in his lap, scooting to our side, and carrying our brother out. Kai looks as if he hit his head, and shards of glass are imbedded in his arms and shoulder. Cole has a bloody head, and he stumbles, nearly dropping the fire ninja.

"Give him to me," I say and take Kai into my arms, my brother's weight making shoulder feel in more pain, tenfold, and my swoon becomes more potent every passing second as I rush to the hospital while the others follow me. The hospital is only a few blocks away.

I let out a small cry from the pain and Pixal asks, "Do you want me to take him?"

"No, I'm alright," I respond. I don't look at the damage done to me so I will not feel as weak, but I am going to have to at one point. _Hang in there, brother! We're almost there. _I reach the hospital doors as Melissa, Pixal, and Cole open them. I rush through, shouting, "Doctors, help!" Several doctors and nurses rush up to us with a bed with wheels, and I drop him on as they hurry to the ER. Everything makes me feel sicker and I put a hand to my head, the floor rushing up to me as my knees buckle. Everything turns black.

Chapter 5

Accident?

I feel something cold and thin touching one of my wires, moving inside my chest. I let a small groan escape my lips. I feel like I have been hit by a truck, but I really was and do not want to move at the moment. I drift off to another dream, or perhaps memory, while the soft sounds of people whispering go away.

**The Day of the Accident**

"So does anyone want to play twenty questions?" Jay suggests enthusiastically, bouncing up and down in his seat in the back of the van, rubbing his hands together from the cold weather.

"Jay, how long have we been playing games? Think about it. We've done eye spy, a-my name is, and tons of other ones I don't even know the names of. Just give us a break, please!" Kai calls back from the driver's seat, his eyes on the snowy road.

"Lloyd, do you want to play arm wrestle or Indian wrestle?" Jay asks.

Lloyd smirks, rolling up his sleeves, showing arms with goose bumps and responds, "Yeah, like you can beat me, the Golden Ninja. I'll go easy on you and do Indian wrestling.

I chuckle while those two horse around in the back and turn to Pixal, who is sitting next to me with her chin in her hand, staring out the left window. I wonder if I ought to say anything to her, but at that moment, Cole leans back from the passenger seat and announces, "We've arrived at our destination!"

"Finally, we've been sitting here for hours!" Jay exclaims, nudging Nya. She startles out of reading her book to see the van come to a stop in front of the ice skating resort.

All of us climb out; everyone (except Pixal and I) rubs their aching muscles, and apparently is quite antsy. "Lloyd and I are going to check everybody in," Kai shivers, his breath coming in wisps in front of him, "Is anyone else coming?"

"Nah, you guys go on ahead," Jay waves his hand as the two head to the resort; then turns back to the rest of us, "Does anyone want to do something, since we have been sitting practically the entire day?"

"What did you have in mind?" I ask.

"Why don't we play man hunt?" Jay suggests eagerly.

I am fed up with Jay's games for today and respond, "No thank you. I would prefer to take a walk."

"I'll do it!" Cole and Nya respond in unison, while Pixal looks at them; then at me hesitantly.

I nod to her and she walks up to the group, saying, "I would like to join as well."

I amble aimlessly away from the group, into the forest, shouting back. "If I have not returned by the time Kai and Lloyd are back, don't wait for me!"

"Okay!" Cole responds.

I walk for quite some time, enjoying every cool breath that enters my artificial lungs, and listen for any sounds of wild life. The snow crunches softly beneath my white shoes and I brush snowflakes out of my blond hair. After precisely three hours, I hear a slight clatter behind me and whirl round, my robotic, blue eyes scanning the forest. I search up and down, side to side, repeatedly, sensing someone's presence, an evil one that is familiar. A shadow is behind me; I know who it is and I turn to see it is Jason, my dreaded nightmare of utter horror. Flames rise in me, my entire body burning, coursing with a dark hatred. Jason smiles ruefully, holding a tiny blade aloft for me to see. "That will not do much harm, will it?" I ask him, summoning up my courage.

"Oh, really?" Jason retorts, "Try to kill me then! After all, _I _sent that girl to stab Kai and murder your father. He certainly took more work than most, that old man."

At those words, I throw away all of my worry of a trap and lunge at him, wrapping my hands round his human throat, squeezing him with all of my strength. "Say that again!" I screech, "Who took more work than most? Huh! You took my father away from me! _You _ruined my life, forever!"

Jason laughs, while my rage grows increasingly unstable. I feel a heavy object hit the back of my head, and see white light, stumbling, and fall onto my hands and knees in severe pain. I close my eyes for a moment; then force them open, while a swoon rushes over me. I see several men gather round me jeering and poking me with metal rods. One of them is stained red and I touch my hand gingerly to my head. When I pull my hand back it is permeated in blood. I grimace, biting my lip till it bleeds in defiance and force myself to stand. The man with the blood stained rod, swings his weapon at my leg the moment I get up. Searing pain shoots up my leg and I fall back on my hands and knees, while the others hit my sides unmercifully, the pain becoming unbearable. "That's enough," Jason tells his men, "Hold him down for me."

Chapter 6

Cover Up

"No, let go of me!" I demand as several pairs of strong hands grab me, nails biting into my robotic flesh.

Jason undoes the front of my gi, exposing my bare chest, filled with gears and wires. I glance wildly at my enemy's hand, moving slowly, greedily, to my button, and he presses it gently. _No, this is not good. I have to do something, because if he finds my energy source, it's over. _I head-butt the man on my left and snap my head round, sinking my teeth into the right man's hand, squirting blood everywhere. Both release me, but two more garb me, slamming my back against a birch tree, snow dropping on my hair. Jason's smile dissipates as the metal flaps protecting my energy source open up, revealing a round, blue piece that glows and pulses like a heart. Everyone stares at it, mesmerized by its uniqueness I suppose.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Jason laughs madly, "This is it! This is what we need!"

_Is he taking away my energy source for a scheme of his, or does he intend to kill me by extracting it? This does not compute. _My mind races to come up with an explanation, my heart pounding visibly, with a rapidly sickening thump. My breaths come in rasps from the increasing pain and the uncertainty of the situation. I attempt to asses it, but to no avail, at least, not at the moment of my current plight. My eyes widen as Jason's large, gloved hand reaches for my energy source, and I struggle to get away. The grips round my arms tighten as the hand lightly touches my pulsing heart. Searing pain tears through it, sparks flying in the air as I scream with all my might, unable to refrain from tears welling up in my eyes. Jason's hand snaps back as he gazes at my agony with sheer delight, like a child eating all the chocolate candy in the world without fear of ever being punished or told to cease consumption of the sweets. My entire body goes limp with partial relief.

Jason flips the hilt of the tiny blade with dexterous fingers, eyeing it like a bar of gold. He turns to face me with gleeful malice as his fingertips squeeze round the significantly small knife, and he plunges it in my chest. I screech in intolerable pain as the sharp blade pierces my blue heart, my source of life. My senses dull become a distant nightmare as the men release me and I slump down against the tree, falling face down into the snow. Lie there for quite some time, everything feeling painful. I hear a vehicle start and I raise my head up to see headlights in my direction. A sharp pain rips anew through my bod as it rams into me and everything goes black.

"No, no, no, no, no!" I scream, abruptly sitting up, feeling sharp pain in my sides, left arm and shoulder, especially my chest. I am lying on a white bed, with a monitor beeping next to me. Pixal is sitting on a chair alongside the bed, her head leaning on my leg, fast asleep. I smile weakly as I lie back down and reach an unsteady hand towards her, but jerk my hand back when I hear two things: a long, distinct beep of dead heart on a monitor and...

"Kai, no!" someone screams desperately.

Chapter 7

Cardiac Arrest

My heart race races as I pull out the IV needle (specifically designed for oiling robots) and hastily half roll, half drop off the bed. My wound-ridden body screams at me in protest as I get to one knee with excruciating pain, falling forward on both hands. I inhale, forcing myself to my feet, leaning against the wall while staggering to the door. I turn the handle-even that takes plenty of effort-and rush outside-into the hall, and open the other door and desperately search the interior of the room, spotting a group of people gathered round a blood-stained bed. My stomach knots as I hurry around them, only to gaze upon m brother's sickly body. "Kai, no, please," I say weakly, dropping to both knees, ignoring the shooting pain, tears streaming down my face as a man rubs a jelly-like substance on two pads and rubs those together, and place them on my brother's bare chest.

"100 joules," the man says to another doctor. The doctor turns a knob on a machine that is attached by a wire to the pads. The other man heaves up with a popping sound, pulling my brother's chest with him.

A female doctor checks his pulse on his neck and shakes her head, telling the others, "200 joules."

They repeat the process, shocking my brother's heart, attempting to revive him. I cannot take my eyes off Kai's body, off the dead look on his face. I struggle to breathe, hoping with all of me that he will survive. They do it again, with three hundred joules this time, but to avail. "400 joules," the female doctor speaks in a professional manner, without the slightest hint of concern. I hear Melissa crying, waling, while she watches her husband passing, yet the monitor ceases ringing, and beeps. I stare as a wave of relief washes over me, and I finally look at the others. Melissa has her hands folded together against her head, her eyes shut tightly.

Jay is squeezing a woman's shoulder, and says breathlessly, "It's okay, Nya. Kai's okay; he'll be fine."

_Nya? _I hadn't recognized her, most likely because her hair is long, her bangs are to the side, and she looks pretty, for once (at least to me, unlike Jay or Cole, before she made her final decision). In Nya's arms is a baby, bundled up in a pink blanket, sleeping soundly, oblivious to everything around her. I place a hand on Kai's, feeling it's warmth of life comforting me, knowing he is safe for the present. The cold tears streak down my face and drop on my brother's arm. I close my eyes; then open them as one of the doctors takes my arm, puling me to my feet with an ungentle jerking motion. I stifle a cry, grimacing, and fall back to the cold floor, while Jay bends over me, saying, "Zane, we're taking you back to your room, okay?"

I barely manage a weak nod as the lightning ninja lifts me lightly off the ground, as if I weigh merely fifteen pounds or less. Melissa opens the door and Jay brings me back to my room, with Nya behind us. After he and I are in, Nya Walker shuts the door with one hand, leaving us two in the room and Jay carefully sets me in the bed. Pixal is nowhere to be seen. As he covers me with a sheet I retch, a sharp pain in my chest when the white cloth touches me. Jay instantly drops it on me and puts a hand on my shoulder asking, "Are you okay?"

I am in too much pain to respond, and raise my arm to pull the sheet off, and Jay does it for me. I fumble with my hospital shirt, pulling it up and look down to see my heart glowing green, with only a hint of blue hue left to be seen. Both Jay and I gasp. "What-what happened to you?" Jay points at it with his mouth slightly open.

I still cannot respond and roll off the other side of the bed before he can catch me, hitting my head with a dull thud, and grasp the bar of the bed, bending it significantly, nearly snapping it to. "Hey, hey, Zane!" Jay calls me and rushes round the bed, to my side.

"I want to go home," I whisper.

"What?"

"Take me to my father's-house," I tell him, gasping.

"But-" Jay stops as my eyes plead with him.

Pixal practically throws the door ajar and rushes to my side, grabbing my pale hand, "Zane, what's the matter?"

Chapter 8

Julien's Window

"C-can you t-t-take me to m-my father's h-h-o-use?" I gasp, clutching the bedpost, bending it till it snaps and cuts my hand deeply, though no blood comes out.

"You need to remain here until you recover," Pixal tells me.

"Rob-bots d-don't need to re-recover," I respond and shift my glance to Jay, who stares at the wall, noticeably uncomfortable. "Am-am I fixed?" No one responds and I feel foolish for having asked such an obvious question. The answer rings in my head, like a prominent nightmare floating through my conscious, yet barely comprehending mind, my own words echoing from when I was in the ship 'The Glass Lady'. _My father is dead and I may die. No one can repair me, ever again. _I do not know why, but the words reopen a deep wound in the very depths of my heart. A lump forms in my throat, and I fight for composure, not wanting my family, especially Pixal, to see me like this, grieving for my beloved father. It feels like he was murdered yesterday.

I startle out of my thoughts, hearing Pixal saying softly, "The robot technician repaired you enough that you won't bleed for the present, as long as your portion of your heart remains green. If it turns any other color or shade, that means-" She hesitates, looking at me square in the eye.

"What does it mean?" I ask.

"You might remain in this state unless Mr. Borg can repair you, somehow," Jay's voice trails off into a mutter I cannot hear enough to make out the words; then speaks suddenly out loud, "Um, I'm going to, uh, check on Nya and the baby." Jay exits the room awkwardly closing the door behind him.

"Do you need my assistance with anything?" Pixal inquires, gently stroking my blond hair.

"I can get back on the bed. Could you get me another shot of oil?" I request; Pixal's eyes focus on the dripping IV, spilling on the floor in a pool, nearly at their feet.

"Okay, I'll go get it, but-are you certain you don't need me to help you on the bed?" she questions me as she heads for the door.

I draw in my breath to keep my voice steady enough to persuade her and respond, "I can manage."

She nods, opens the door, and exits the room, shutting it to behind her. I put both of my hands on the cold floor, preparing myself, heaving my hollow body up, pushing myself to my knees. I wince, reaching my right arm to my aching shoulder and take my hand off again, grasping the end of the bed. I lean against it, forcing myself to my feet. A wave of nausea rushes over me, and I struggle to maintain balance as I stumble to the window. I put both hands under it and push it up, but to no avail. It's locked. I draw the white curtain back, seeing the lock, and take hold of it, striving to wrench it off before Pixal returns. It breaks. I drop it and open the window, staring down into the busy streets of New Ninjago city; a cold draft and snowflakes blow onto my face. I shut eyes for a moment, enjoying the wonderful weather. Footsteps draw my attention back to my current desire: to go home.

I swing both of my legs over the side of the window, calculating how far up I am: eight floors. I grasp the top of the window with both hands, lowering myself slowly and my feet lightly touch the sill. The door begins to creak open as my heart leaps into my throat and without much consideration I bend down, grasping the sill and swing my body down, my dangling feet groping for the next sill. My arms are weaker than prior to the accident, but still will hold out for a brief duration, hopefully. I hear Pixal gasp and rush forward, to the window I suppose. "Zane!" she calls me, a hint of disbelief, mixed with anxiety in her lovely voice, "Zane, why are you down there?"

_How did she know- _I glance down at my shoulder, to see bright red blood running down it and my side, past my leg, to my foot below, dripping, dripping, dripping constantly with a rapid rhythm as I hear her calling the others. _I can't wait any longer. _I find my foothold and let go of the above sill and fight to maintain my balance. I lurch forward, thrusting my hands out to stop my fall, finding myself plummeting and my stomach drops as my left foot catches the sill. I shut my eyes involuntarily as my head smacks into the window below and my eyes fly back open, my hands stretching for the sill. It's too far away. _Just a few more inches and I'll be there. _My fingertips touch it every so slightly and I stretch a bit farther. My foot slips as I grasp it, and I flip over, losing my grip on the sill, feeling myself plummeting.

Chapter 10

Snap!

Lightning flashes in front of the ninjas' faces, and the thunder booms a few seconds after, showing the monster of the weather is drawing nigh. Jay takes his legs off the wire and hangs merely by both hands, his grip loosening every passing moment. He lets one hand go of the only thing between him and certain death. _Come on, Jay, Zane's depending on you! _The lightning ninja moves his hand forward about a foot and grasps the wire again; then moves his other hand approximately another foot forward attempting not to slip again. "Hang on Zane; I'm coming," Jay reassures the ice ninja, who does not seem to be listening, but gazes above everyone, while Nya calms her baby, and Pixal becomes agitated for the first time since who-knows-when.

Zane freezes, the only movement being his hands and arms trembling out of muscle strain. His left hand loses its grasp and he dangles by one hand, yet he does not react. He just stares at a lone figure on the ceiling, a hood drawn over his face, though Zane knows who is there. A familiar voice whispers in his mind, _Kai is dying from poison, and the blame is lying on your shoulders, for once you are gone they shall know what has been haunting you for many a year. I shall see you soon, Hawthorn, my friend. _The evil voice laughs as lightning cracks next to the electrical line and a piece of the wire splits open, frays, showing wires beneath the black, plastic covering. Zane's attention snaps back to Jay, who's hand is about to touch the frayed piece, a foot or two away from him. Zane swings himself back; then forward, the momentum thrusting him towards the lightning ninja. The ninja of ice grasps Jay's shirt, pulling him away, and grabs hold of another portion of the line, bringing them closer to the window, where Pixal extends her white hands towards the two.

"Zane, the line is breaking!" Pixal shouts, "Hurry!"

"Throw Jay over here!" Cole puts his hands out as the others back away from the window.

Zane's robotic instincts allow him to throw the ninja of lightning far enough that Cole barely manages to grasp Jay by the arms. "Zane jump!"Pixal tells him.

"Watch out!" Melissa warns as the wire snaps and Zane swings his body forward, nearly to the sill, but not close enough.

"Zane!" everyone screams in unison as Nya hands Melissa the baby and rushes out the room to get help.

Zane drops, though it is quite dark, where one can hardly see his figure slam on the asphalt with a slight crack. The lightning flashes, revealing his twisted up body, his arms hugging him and his legs bent upward. His left hand is partially snapped off, hanging by several wires. His eyes are wide open and he stares into the dark sky, rain pounding on his weakened body. A surge of artificial adrenaline courses throughout him and he leaps up, holding his damaged hand. He darts around the building next to him, terror seizing his typically placid mind with utter surety as to run. To run anywhere; anywhere that is away from this waking, walking, talking nightmare he has faced for years and years. The memories of the murders of Kai and Nya's parents flash vividly in his mind, and the murders of Jane and his adoptive Grandmother. He sees his father whispers barely audibly to him at his death, 'I love you'. Zane keeps running, for hours and hours and hours straight, never looking back, never paying heed to his family's desperate calls to him, never feeling the pain in his body. His heart feels flooded with sorrow, yet void at the same moment. There is a hole in the remaining piece of heart, although he possesses no knowledge of any means of curing himself. How he came by to run aimlessly and end up at his old dwelling in the Birchwood forest, he does not, except to presume he misses home, and his father. He draws in his breath out of both habit and pure comfort, and goes to open the door. It is already open a few inches, a sign someone has been in there.

Chapter 11

Is That Me?

Zane gazes breathlessly at the door, his tired mind now racing for options. _This could just be that the falcon returned because he misses my father as well, yet he would not leave the door ajar, would he? Perhaps I ought to return to the others for aid. No, they will try to stop me and will bring me back at all costs. _Zane softly takes hold of the side of the birch door, cracking it open a bit more, causing a slight creak to ring throughout the silent forest. The weather for some reason is snowy near here, yet not chilly enough for ice formation back at the hospital. This place is isolated like an island surrounded by water, including the inhabitants of the lonely area. _The treehorns-are here. _He whirls round to see a "tree trunk" lift out of the snow and come crashing close to the house.

Zane abandons every thought of stealth and races inside the birch house, hastily shutting the door with a snap as the animal passes the small abode. The ice ninja leans against the closed entrance, waiting breathlessly, and hears a scuffle and a following flap behind him. He turns as his falcon alights on his arm softly, delighted to see him. He flinches as the adrenaline wears off and he can feel the distinct, sharp, ripping pain in his limbs.

"So, you have finally returned, Julien. How come this place looks like it's been abandoned for years?" a voice asks somewhere in the room. Zane glances from left to right. In front of him a shadow comes out of the back of the room, showing an old woman, dressed in a white lab coat. "Who are you?" she says to the confused ninja.

"I am Zane Julien, Dr. Julien's son. And you are?" Zane responds.

"I am Dr. Marcy, previous assistant of your father. I'm sorry to ask you, but did Julien create you as a robotic son?" she questions.

"Yes," Zane answers. He thinks _how did she know? _"Then pardon me for asking," Zane says, "How could you tell I am a robot if he designed to look human?"

Marcy's wrinkles form into a look of concern as well as confusion. "You look only partially human to me. Perhaps I need to clean my glasses because my eyesight is poor. She removes her spectacles and wipes them with her coat; then puts them back on. She squints her eyes as she stares at Zane and inquires, "Do you have a mirror?"

Zane finds that an odd question, but he points over to a faded white cloth on top of a tall, rectangular shape. Marcy pulls the cloth off, wrinkling her nose as dust flies everywhere. The falcon flaps his wings and lands on top of the mirror as the woman beckons Zane over with her hand. Zane walks over to her and stares at Marcy, confused. "Look in the mirror and you will know what I mean," she tells him.

The ice ninja shoots a double take when he sees himself. _What-what happened to me?_

Chapter 12

A Month to Live

A portion of the cheek the left side of Zane's face is missing, being a deep hole that exposes the metal and a few circuits. He lifts his sleeve on his left arm to see his robotic flesh partially black and partially pale, almost white and sticky blood adhering to a long gash that runs nearly the entire length of his arm. He notices blue staining his hospital clothing and lifts the top of the shirt to see a blue, liquid substance oozing from his heart. His right leg is twisted outward slightly and creaks when he shifts his weight. "You said you were my father's assistant. Do you know what's going on?" Zane inquires.

"Well, I helped your father a bit, but I mostly learned particular things from him; however, not the same kind of things," Marcy responds.

"What things?"

"We researched ways of prolonging life and making humans robots so they would not die. We did not succeed, until now. I can make robots humans and vice versa, yet I wish Julien had been there the moment I found out. Do you know where he is?" Marcy changes the subject.

Zane's throat constricts as he turns to face her, swallowing, attempting not burst in tears at the mention of where Julien is. A tear trickles and slides into the cavity in his face, causing zapping pain to course through him. He stifles a cry and manages to say to the woman, "He- h-he is…gone."

She casts her face down and speaks quietly, "I wondered if he lived or if not, but I-I hoped he was…alive. I'm sorry."

"Do you know what is wrong with me?" Zane ventures to ask again.

"I do but...Zane- well, you must know eventually, and I don't want you to find out the hard way," she places a hand against her forehead and paces back and forth, "You are damaged enough that your heart and body are worn out. If you do not give it more time to heal, your energy source will never function again. I usually would have to observe your insides to determine anything, but you are nearly in a critical state. There are only two methods to save you, otherwise you will only have one month to live at maximum."

"How long has he been missing?" Lloyd asks, shooting out of his seat, and putting the phone on speaker.

"It's been several hours and we still haven't found him. He fell off a wire at the hospital and…disappeared," Pixal informs him, her usually monotone voice now filled with deep concern, sounding a bit muffled over the phone.

"Where are you guys? I'll go look for Zane right now!" Lloyd shouts.

"We're at the hospital where Kai is," Pixal replies.

"We're on our way," Garmadon says as the family leaves the table and Lloyd hangs up while they head for the door.

"Where is Zane?" Sensei Wu walks out of his room, his face lighting up for the first time since a year.

"Are you ready for this?" Marcy confirms with Zane as she picks up his blueprint from the floor, holding a toolbox in her other hand.

Zane nods, his head rubbing against the table he had been created on, and responds, "I am ready." Marcy sets the box down and flips on a light on the wall.

Chapter 13

Major Issues

**Thirty Minutes Earlier**

"Is that why you are alive?" Zane questions her.

"Yes, but I switched myself back to being a human after a month," Marcy responds.

"How could you do that to yourself? I mean, with your own hands?" Zane asks.

"There are ways and besides, I didn't say I did it alone."

"Can you switch me back, after changing me into a human?" Zane speaks softly.

"Yes, after one month, but during that time your artificial heart will remain off and the operation takes three days," Marcy informs him.

"Can I die," Zane asks the question that's been bothering him the entire time, "while I am human?"

"Yes. All humans are mortal and we-"

Her voice becomes distant to the ice ninja as another voice speaks in his head. _If you go along with her, you're going to be miserable. Being a human isn't helpful at all, but of course, you can die more easily. _Zane puts his fingers in his ears, but the index falls off and drops with a thud on the ground. He screams and grabs his zapping hand in agony, while the finger wires fall out of the hole. He crumples into a tight ball on the floor, writhing in pain and knocks into the mirror, cracking it from top to bottom. Marcy runs to the table and hastily clears it; then lifts Zane with surprising strength, and places him on it. She rushes to a pile of boxes, wires, and light bulbs. She soon finds a toolbox and runs back to the Nindroid. She opens it and dumps the contents on the floor, rummaging through the pile, searching for pliers. She cannot find it and grabs a wrench instead as well as a knife; then cuts Zane's shirt open in the center, pulling the cloth back to reveal blue liquid mixed with black pouring out of a slit wire, connected to his heart.

She throws the wrench on the floor in frustration, picks up a roll of black duct tape, and cuts a long strip of it with the blade. She drops knife and roll and begins wrapping the tape round the slit wire, while Zane screeches, grabbing the sides of the table as the liquid mess seeps into the rest of his body. "Just a minute Zane. Don't move!" she shouts as the ninja turns abruptly, slamming into the edge of the blade and the woman, only causing more pain to erupt in his digressing body. "Please, stay with me! You need to hold still!" She lets go of the knife handle, imbedded in his abdomen, and rips more tape off the roll, covering Zane's mouth and then taping his arms to the table. She lightly takes hold of the knife and gently pulls it out an inch, making Zane's pain increase as he screams through the tape, and kicks his legs wildly.

Marcy yanks it out in one swift pull, squirting artificial blood all over them, and Zane flips the table away from her, on its metal side, squirming to get out of the tape. "Zane!" Marcy screams and rushes around the table.

"Lloyd, will you stay with Kai for a moment?" Melissa requests and puts a hand to her mouth.

"Are you okay?" Lloyd asks.

"Yes. I'll be right back," she responds and departs swiftly out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

Lloyd sighs and turns back to his sleeping brother, who lies on the bed, pale and thin. "I hope the others return with Zane," he says to himself.

A shadow slips into the room, closing the door silently and smacks Lloyd's head with a baseball bat. The assailant drops his weapon and pulls the IV needle out of the fire ninja's arm; then lifts him quietly onto his back.

Chapter 14

Search

"Zane, can you hear me?" Marcy asks while lifting the table upright. Zane nods, ceasing his struggle while Marcy removes the tape from his mouth and arms. "Are you okay?" He nods again and bites his lip from the pain.

"Can you change me to a human?" Zane requests, "I would be very grateful."

Marcy smiles and pushes her glasses farther up her nose, saying, "Are you ready for this?" She picks up his blueprint off the floor and the toolbox.

"I am ready," he responds after nodding. Marcy sets the toolbox back down and flips on a light switch on the wall, blinding the injured Nindroid.

Zane squints as the woman tells him, "I will have to inject you with a robot sleeping liquid for the operation."

"Lloyd!" Melissa screams as she shakes the unconscious ninja on the floor of the hospital room, "Someone help him!"

Lloyd's eyes snap open and he jerks right up into a sitting position, shouting, "Kai, no!"

"Lloyd, where's Kai?" Melissa puts her frail hands on his shoulders, while the others rush into the room.

"What's going on?" Jay asks.

"Kai's gone!" Melissa exclaims.

"What happened?" Nya speaks anxiously.

"I don't know." Lloyd responds, "I was hit in the back of my head and now he-he's missing."

"Let's search the area again," Cole says.

"Did you guys find Zane yet?" Lloyd inquires.

"No; we did not discover any traces of him," Pixal tells him sadly as she and the others help Lloyd to his feet.

"We better go in groups and be on the alert in case something else happens to us," Lloyd speaks as they head out the door.

"Okay. That's a good idea, because we don't know what happened or if someone is targeting us," Jay says.

**Behind the Hospital Building**

"Okay. This where we split up," Lloyd announces, "I'll go with Pixal."

"I am going with Jay then," Melissa tells them, eyeing Cole strangely.

"Then, I am going with Jay and Melissa since Nya is taking care of Emma," Cole responds and he heads with them to the right, while the other group heads to the left.

Lloyd gets on his hand and a knee, spotting something in the mud next to the abandoned building to the left of the hospital. "Pixal, can you scan for any traces of them?" Lloyd requests. A soft, blue light projects from Pixal's green eyes as she does a sweep of the area and walks away from him. Lloyd digs his hands in the squishy mud, feeling a small, metal object, and pulls it out, wiping it off with his sleeve; it's a gear. He holds it aloft in the dark night, while rain pours, knowing it's from Zane. "Pixal, I found something!" Lloyd announces as the android rushes back to him, holding something as well. She shoves a shard of glass and two neatly severed wires in his face.

"I found these over there," Pixal points to edge of the old building, "There is something else you will want to see as well." They walk over to where she pointed and find a trail of blue and black liquid that strangely does not wash off.

Lloyd stoops over and touches a bit between his fingers. It makes his skin tingle and he straightens up, asking, "What is it?"

"I scanned it and am certain it is Zane's; however, I cannot get a reading on what it is," Pixal responds, "There is a trail that must be where he went. It looks like he was running away from someone, or something."

"Well, then we better get on the move."

"Have you guys spotted anything yet?" Melissa ambles to Jay and Cole, who are doing rapid sweeps with their flashlights.

"I think you should go back inside," Jay tells her.

"Why?"

"Nya may need your help, and besides, you shouldn't be out in the rain," Jay says.

"But Kai-" she protests, but is cut off.

"You could investigate where Lloyd had been attacked and where Kai was last seen," Cole adds.

Melissa purses her lips together, her brows furrowed, and gives in, "Alright, but notify me if you find anything." After she departs, Jay picks up a piece of flesh with a bit of brown hair on it.

"Cole," Jay looks at his brother with a concerned expression, "I think we have a problem."

Chapter 15

Void

Kai flexes a finger, and tests his other ones, each individually; then sighs inwardly. _Great, I still have them, at least. _He opens both palms and weakly squeezes them into a ball. He swallows, his throat dry, and licks his parched lips, opening his eyes to nothing. _Is it night, or this a void room like the ship that had us? _He groans, closing his eyes again and reaching out a hand to touch his throbbing head. It's sticky and stings without being disturbed by any of his weak movements. He bites down on his lip until it bleeds, and moves to curl into a ball, but quickly recoils as a sharp pain shoots through his spine and leg. He strains his ears for any sounds and hears two people in a hot debate, "I said he needs to be chained up, and soon! I don't like the way Harold ended up when he tried to take him!" a deep voice shouts and something shatters.

"Relax, Leroy," a softer, feminine voice reassures his, "He's injured severely and probably broke a few ribs. He isn't going anywhere. Besides, we have hours till morning, you know; then we can chain him up."

"I'm doing it right now!" Leroy exclaims and Kai hears shuffles.

"Okay. I never stopped you. Just don't expect me to participate!" the woman calls as clinking sounds draw near.

The man mutters to himself. "Maybe I should put some of the torch lights out to make the scene more menacing. Huh, why should I be partnered with her anyway? What's so great about her?"

_Is it light out or isn't it? If it is that means…I'm blind, but that couldn't be. _Kai does not dare to move as cold metal clasps over his left wrist then the right one.

The man begins telling random, odd stories, "Once upon a time, there was a little girl allergic to cuteness and lived a dreary life. One day, a friend gave her a puppy named Bear on her birthday. He was so adorable that when she planted a kiss on his head, she died."

_What the heck is he saying? _Kai lies there listening to such nonsense.

"It looks like there was a struggle here," Jay announces, pointing to scratch marks on the wall of the hospital building and blood mixed with water.

"Jay, it looks more like Kai had a picnic outside. Duh, he fought back!" Cole rants, not quite at Jay, but is just frustrated from the recent events.

"We better follow the bloody tracks before they all wash away," Jay says.

"Why would he run here?" Lloyd speaks to himself aloud as he and Pixal rush through the birch wood forest, still finding bits of blue and black liquid, progressively becoming blacker as they press on. Lloyd skids to a halt as the tracks turn to the left and stop in front of a tree with a symbol on it; Zane's old house. He pants, his hands leaning on his knees. "Why-here?"

"We should have thought of that sooner. He did insist on going home," Pixal draws her conclusion.

"Ouch! What the heck?" Lloyd mutters.

"Are you alright?" Pixal asks.

"What? Oh, yeah, yeah; I'm fine," Lloyd lies, wincing, but turns his head away from her.

"Listen! I sense danger." Pixal whispers as a treehorn makes soft sounds in the distance.

"We need to go inside the house before the treehorns find us," Lloyd whispers back and both head for the door.

Chapter 16

More Complications Arise

"We need to get in the house, now!" Lloyd screams as a treehorn approaches them and the Golden Ninja attempts to open the door. It's locked. "Dang it," Lloyd groans and whirls round, blasting a golden ball at the creature. It screeches and topples over into another one of the treehorns. "Try the door again!" Lloyd shouts as he charges another golden ball between his gloved hands, releasing it at the approaching creature.

Pixal tugs at the door, but it won't budge, and she bangs on it, shouting. "Is anyone here? Help us please! Open the door!" Nothing.

"Duck!" Lloyd tells her as a tree-like leg swings at her and another one comes at him. Before he can shoot another ball, the birch leg slams into his side with immense impact, causing him to fly through the air about five yards, into another treehorn. He falls on his hands and knees; then collapses on the powdery snow. He weakly pushes himself back on his knees and charges his golden ball, but it does not light up, and dissipates like an ancient artifact when touched.

Pixal instantly drops to the snow as the leg smacks into the house, denting it almost in half. She leaps up and grasps the birch "tree" and pulls it with slight difficulty away from the house, and into another approaching treehorn. The door has broken off and Pixal looks back, her eyes searching among a crowd of stooping "trees", finding him lying on his back, wild fear in his eyes. "Lloyd!" Pixal screams as she darts in his direction.

Lloyd clenches his aching side, his mind racing for options, knowing his father had been right. He shouldn't have relied solely on his golden powers, but he had a last resort still, thanks to Garmadon. _This is for you, Dad. _Lloyd puts his hands together, concentrating with his mind, lifting the treehorns off the ground, throwing them away from him, scattering them across the forest. Pixal rushes to him, and helps him up by both arms.

"The door is open," she notifies him.

"How did you- oh," Lloyd says when he looks at the ruined tree house.

A woman in a white coat, stained with red, blue, and black, stumbles out of the mess, and falls to both knees, screaming, wailing. "No, no, no, no, no!"

Pixal and Lloyd rush up to her and Lloyd asks, "Are you injured?"

"No," she wipes tears from her eyes and face.

"Is there anyone else trapped inside?" Pixal inquires.

She points towards the house, "Zane-Julien is in…there."

Without further consideration, Pixal pushes inside calling out, "Zane? Zane? Are you in there? Zane, please respond!"

"The blood leads through Jamanaukai village," Jay simply states as he and Cole quicken their pace towards the little group of buildings. Once there, they begin inquiries with the residents, but no one has seen anything at all.

One particularly tall man walks up to Jay and asks, "Are you looking for someone?"

"Yeah, did you see anything suspicious?" Jay responds.

"As a matter of fact, I did. I saw a man carrying another man in red last night, but I wasn't certain if that's what it was since it was dark," he tells him, "It's dawn now, so I can show you where I saw it."

"Thank you very much. Cole, someone may have seen Kai!" Jay calls to his brother, who is talking to a pretty girl. He says something to her; then hurries back.

The man leads them not too far away, between two buildings in an alley. He talks to them softly, "You know, about six years ago, a young teen killed a man with a knife in this particular place. He lost his memory and did not go to juvenile hall like he was supposed to." The man stops and turns to face the two ninja, "His name was Zane."

Before the two astonished brothers can respond, both are hit in the back of the head, and pass out on the cold floor. The man chuckles, "Zane's going to wish he had never been created."

Chapter 17

When Ends Meet

"I-I'm here," Zane coughs under a pile of wood at the end of the little house. Pixal glances around, pushing through debris in her path such as bits of metal, wood, and fallen objects. Pixal's shoes crunch on shards of glass and she steps on a picture with a broken frame, but pays no heed to it and searches for her loved one.

"Zane, keep making sound so I can find you," she calls out to him.

"A-at t-the back e-e-end of the h-h-h-house," Zane's voice starts to become more and more uncoordinated and languishes as Pixal looks desperately for him. He shuts his eyes as darkness blocks his vision and a hand touches his face.

"Zane hold on," Pixal tells him. "I found him and need your help!"

"I'm coming!" Lloyd shouts from outside, rushing in.

"Zane, are you injured?" Pixal turns to the ice ninja, who opens his eyes, almost groggily and winces as he shifts his weight.

_I fell off an electrical wire. Obviously I will be damaged. _Zane doesn't tell her that and merely responds, "Y-yes."

"Where?"

"My entire left side and the majority of my chest," Zane says, finding his voice stronger.

"Where are you guys?" Lloyd asks, not knowing he is a few feet away from them.

"Right here," Pixal replies.

Lloyd shuffles over, shoving boards aside. A wood beam groans as others are moved out of the way, causing it to come loose and drop over Lloyd's head. "Above you!" Zane warns and Lloyd catches it with both hands, throwing it behind him.

"Thanks. How are you doing?" Lloyd questions.

"I was in the middle of being injected with a syringe, after Marcy had cut some of my wires off, disabling the function where the metal flaps close over my energy source, so technically-"

"Wait a minute. Why was she injecting you and why did she disable your only protection for your "heart"?" Lloyd interrupts.

"I'd rather explain later. Marcy could tell you better actually. Could you help me out of here?"

"Oh, yeah," Lloyd rubs the back of his neck, "Sorry."

"No pressure," Zane reassures him.

Pixal pulls Lloyd aside for a moment and whispers to him, "Although he isn't saying anything, you need to be extremely careful when you remove the beams. From what I can tell he is in an unstable condition and in great peril."

Lloyd nods, whispering back, "I get you."

In no time, Lloyd removes all the beams and picks Zane up under his legs and chest, carrying him outside with a bit difficulty. He sets Zane on the cold snow by Marcy knees and backs away from everyone; then sets both hands together and creates his green motorcycle. "Get on. I can't get off the vehicle or else it will disappear," he tells them.

"Where are we going?" Marcy asks as she and Pixal lift Zane onto the cycle as carefully as possible.

"To my house," Lloyd responds, "My dad and mom will help us take care of him.

**At Lloyd's House**

Marcy knocks on the door of the large monastery, with Lloyd, Zane, and Pixal behind her, still on the running motorcycle. Garmadon soon answers, "This is the Garm- what happened to him?"

"Dad, can you help us?" Lloyd says, "Zane needs attention right away. The house he was in collapsed while he was in the middle of an operation."

Garmadon calls Misako and all six of them carry the damaged Nindroid inside, and set him on the table. Zane screams in pain as Lloyd knocks his left side into a chair while he pulls it away. "Mom, can you get our tools?" Lloyd requests.

Misako rushes out of the room and Pixal looks at Zane's heart, dread creeping through her as the slightly thick liquid slides off the energy source, revealing a deep hole in the blue piece. Zane's eyes turn grey and he opens his mouth for no apparent reason. Misako hurries back in the room and hands the toolbox to Marcy. "I need anyone to leave if you cannot control yourself because he could shut down at any moment. Do you understand?" Everyone nods. "Pixal, I need your help."

Chapter 18

Plan C?

"Pixal, please hand me the wire cutter," Marcy requests. Pixal's eyes widen, but she hands her the tool anyway, somewhat reluctantly. Marcy snatches it out of her hand and sets to work at cutting the damaged wires blocking her path to his energy source at a rapid pace. Zane screams and all are taken aback.

Zane over hears Lloyd muttering, "After Jay, Kai, and Cole go missing, Zane is injured like this?"

"Pixal, hand me the syringe in my bag," Marcy says while the android gets it and hands it to her as well. "Don't worry Zane. When you wake up you will be okay." _Or better off_ _at least_, Marcy thinks as she jabs the needle into Zane's arm, injecting the blue liquid into his body, haste being needed above all. Zane's eyes shut instantly and she shoves the syringe in Pixal's hands, working on him anxiously.

**Three Days Later**

"We need to find a way to find Kai, Jay, and Cole," Zane states the very moment he is conscious, "I'm worried about them. Have any of them returned?"

"Um…no, but wouldn't you need to worry about yourself first?" Lloyd asks hesitantly.

"Why haven't you looked for them?" Zane question them.

"We did, but can't find them. We have not seen your falcon either, or we may have already," Pixal notifies him, "How are you feeling?"

Zane ignores her question and turns to Lloyd, "Think a minute. Is there anywhere you may have missed?"

At that moment, the falcon flies in the monastery through the open door that had been left because Misako just entered the room with Sensei Wu. "Zane! You're awake!" Misako and Wu exclaim. The falcon perches on Zane's arm as he sits up and taps on him with his beak, pulling on his sleeve. 'What's he doing?" Garmadon asks.

"I sense he wants us to follow him," Zane announces as the bird takes off, and he immediately gets off the table.

"Wait, Zane! Shouldn't you rest?" Nya calls to him as he rushes out the door.

"I'll be fine," he tells her as he shuts the door and darts off into the grey dawn.

"Be safe!" The women call to the others as they leave, the men following the falcon.

After a few minutes, Zane halts, putting his hands on his knees, panting heavily, and notices he is sweating profusely, now that he is a human. He feels wobbly and the gash has not healed, but has become worse. Being a robot his entire life, the injuries he sustained did not affect him as much as now, yet there is no time for this. Who knows what may have happened to the others while he was asleep? Zane draws in a deep breath, lifting his head to see his bird circling above him, waiting impatiently, and takes off again, still way ahead of Lloyd, Sensei Wu, and Sensei Garmadon.

**1 Hour Later**

The falcon perches on Zane's shoulder. Just the minor weight of the ice ninja's feathered friend feels like a heavy burden. Zane drops to one knee and puts hand out to stop his fall from going any father, and lifts his weary head up, only to meet a part of his darkest dreams. The alley. This is where his nightmare began in that lonely place. "Zane, are you okay?" Lloyd asks, pulling him to his feet.

_No, I am not alone. I have my family, and if someone wants to harm them, I will do whatever I can to save them. I don't want to lose another family member, ever again. _Zane takes a step in the alley and says, "I'm fine." Lloyd's brows furrow with worry, but he merely follows his brother, into whatever trap this may be.

Jason pushes his chair back from his desk, staring at the monitors, showing Zane from different angles, vulnerable-yes-extremely vulnerable. Jason grins widely, and tells his guard behind him, "13's here. Execute Plan C."

"C sir?" the guard asks, confused, but quickly exits the room, receiving a cold glare from behind.

_Zane…this is going to be fun. I want to see ho great of a ninja you are, or if the rumors are even valid. _Jason runs a hand through his jet-black hair, refraining from changing the plan to his favorite: Plan F.

Chapter 19

Plan F

Zane gapes at the entrance of the cave, while his falcon pulls at his sleeve with its beak, urging him on. "We better be careful. This place could be dangerous," Lloyd tells everyone, but the rest of his words are blotted out by the flow of memories of the onslaught of people Zane knew, a long time ago. The ice ninja involuntarily touches where he had been injured in the alley, and he freezes his shoulder without thinking, creating a cold pain in his new wound. His legs give way and he drops on both knees, blood covering his body as a young, brunette girl-about thirteen-appears in his arms.

"Jane," Zane murmurs softly, brushing her bloody hair out of her lovely face. He loved her like a sister, even if her brother abused him when he was young. She was not aware Jason would do such things to anyone. After all, he didn't even suspect him, not until he was pushed down those stairs in the secret, underground room.

"Zane, what are you doing? What's wrong?" Lloyd puts hand on his brother's shoulder, anxiety clear in his young voice. _Zane looks like he's touching and cradling someone or…something in his arms. Is he-losing it or does this have to with the time I was captured and he froze? He didn't even put up a struggle with the Venomari Nothing's is in his arms though. _Lloyd smacks Zane's shoulder lightly, "Hey…is there something wrong?" No response. Lloyd smacks him harder, but that doesn't work either, and he shakes the frozen ninja. "Zane, please respond!"

"Let me try," Sensei Wu shoves his nephew out of the way and says, "Zane, can you hear me? We need to save Kai, Jay, and Cole. We need you to help us, please."

"None of this will work. Let me do this," Sensei Garmadon pushes Wu away and mutters, "I'm sorry, but you leave no choice." The previous dark lord jabs a finger into Zane's side.

**(Zane's P.O.V.)**

She's gone…and will never come back. She's gone, forever; out of reach; out of hearing; out of sight; out of this world; she won't know anything that has gone on, nothing. I hug her form tightly, but when I pull away, her body disappears, leaving my arms empty, without her, without the blood from her body, without warmth. For the first time in years, I feel cold, alone. Wait! I'm not alone. What about the people who have always been there for me, and took me in as their own, even after they found out I was…not human. Now-I am one of them. They are my…family. The chill departs from my body, only to be replaced by a hot, sting; a jab to my side. I bite my lip, flinching, tears welling up in my eyes as I hear Lloyd asking me, "Zane. Zane, please come back to us!" His voice fades away and so does the world around me.

A voice speaks in my head; one that I know, that brings back the deadly chill. _They're dying, because of you, Zane. It's your fault._

Chapter 20

Hallway Hades

**No P.O.V.**

"Wait! Execute Plan F," Jason calls to his guard.

"Yes sir!" the man says enthusiastically and exits the room, rushing down the hallway. "Plan F!" the guard presses an alarm button on the wall. A series of rapid ringing sounds throughout the underground and the cave above followed by loud beeps.

"The alarm!" Sensei Garmadon shouts and the group storm into the cave, grabbing torches that light the wall, but the interior of the place flashes red, off and on, off and on. In front of them were three tunnels. Zane immediately moves to the center one, casting his torch on the ground, while the others follow in single file like this: Zane, Wu, Lloyd, and Garmadon. Near the end, they hear a scraping sound behind.

"Dad! Watch out!" Lloyd warns, grabbing his father and pulling him around the end into the right turn as he and Wu drop their torches, dropping to the ground. Something strikes the floor, next to Garmadon's foot and he pulls it out, to find an arrow, and several others close by.

"Why would they do this all of a sudden? Is this a test?" Zane wonders aloud, before he can catch himself.

"Who is 'they'?" Lloyd questions his brother, eyeing him strangely.

"I'm not certain; however, they might be the people that had kidnapped me when I was small and murdered Kai's parents. I do not know who they are."

"I never heard Kai or Nya say anything about them being murdered, nor about knowing you before," Lloyd says.

"They did not mention knowing me because-" Before Zane can finish his sentence, a rain of bullets strike the wall next to them and he yanks Lloyd, leaping away from the opening. One bullet grazes Zane's left arm, snagging on the gash, tearing the wound open.

"Are you both okay?" Wu asks; then sees Zane holding his arm, and blood seeping between his fingers, "Are you hit?"

"No, just grazed," Zane manages to respond before biting down on his lip, flinching as Lloyd, gets on one knee, his blond hair brushing against the wound. The shots abruptly cease and Zane rushes to the opening, blasting a wall of ice in front of them to bide some time. "Down the passageway, now!" he tells them and they dart forward in the orange tinted passage that expands.

They halt in front of two split ways. "Which one?" Lloyd asks as the wall of ice collapses.

Zane glances from left to right, trying to recall which one. _It's different. It was clearly a large room before. _"I don't know. It wasn't like this at the time."

"We better hurry and pick one!" Garmadon shouts as people clad in black shove pieces of ice out of their path.

"To the left!" Zane shouts as he creates another ice barrier then turns, creating a second one. After making the third wall, his body weakens and he can no longer shoot the ice for about five minutes. The turn leads into another tunnel, but without torches. Garmadon dropped his moments ago and now they can only touch the walls, stumbling forward, in the darkness, with the enemy temporarily delayed. A screech pierces the cave, bringing a deadly chill to the trapped people.

A Nindroid's Tears: Forgotten 3

Chapter 1

A Bitter Reunion

"What was that?" Lloyd whispers.

"I…don't know," I respond, but my heart freezes. I can only hope it's not Kai, Jay, or Cole, yet the sound was certainly from a human in pain.

"Which way do we go?" Wu asks.

"Let's go towards the place where the cry came from; then we'll see," I say softly.

We all rush to the left, knowing we have hardly any time before the gunmen catch up to us and I cannot shoot more ice to stop them for five minutes. All of us burst into a widened room, lit by a single bonfire, and Cole is lying on the ground in front of it.

Kai is tied up to a boulder in the rear. Blood permeates his spiky, brown hair and his head is slumped down. He is gagged. A tripod is in the middle of the room and Jay is tied to a chair, unconscious, though not gagged like the fire ninja. My heart skips a beat.

"This…is the-same," I barely make out before I sink to my knees. Terror grips me and the killer from five years ago seizes my throat, squeezing me so tightly that everything blurs in an instant.

"Zane? Zane, are you okay?" Lloyd's distant voice trails off. Black blotches start to appear in front of my eyes, and fade away, and return again. The man releases me and I immediately get up, nearly falling from a potent swoon. I stoop down, putting two fingers up to Cole's nostrils and sigh, relieved.

"He's alive," I say, my vision clearing and my strength returning. I glance at each of my family members in turn. I cock my head, seeing Lloyd's lips are moving, but I cannot hear him and glance back to the man, who smiles, fading from the scene. Everything feels like a waking nightmare, yet I know I'm in the real world.

I feel numb almost as if I'm a phantom, revisiting my own death scene. I need to wake up. I cannot hear anything; I cannot speak; I cannot feel any longer; I cannot move. I have to. My family is here and they…need me.

"Zane, can you hear me?" Lloyd's voice becomes audible to my ears all of a sudden.

My voice returns, and so does every other sense. "Yes. Are the others alright?"

"They're fine, but Kai has been starved and beaten, I think."

"Starved and beaten," I murmur, "Starved and beaten." I've heard those words before, though from someone else. I raise my voice more audibly. "We need to get them out of here, now!"

"Shouldn't we take care of his wounds first?" Lloyd asks.

"No, we don't have any time!" I shout frantically, my shrill voice bouncing off the walls with a loud echo.

Garmadon lifts Cole onto his back while Wu unties Jay's ropes and I go over to Kai, beginning to unfasten his. "Lloyd, make sure no one comes in," I tell him.

"Okay," the green ninja responds.

Kai's bonds are tight enough I can't undo them without some kind of tool and I reach out, grabbing a stick that's on fire. I burn into the ropes, careful not to catch him on fire and put the torch back before picking Kai's limp body up. I flinch, nearly dropping him from the pain in my arm, but keep a steady grip on him.

"Are we clear?" I ask.

"Yeah. It's strange, because there hasn't even been a sound," Lloyd responds, "Do you think it's a trap?"

"Trap or not, we need to get out of here," Garmadon says and we all move to the "hallway". Kai's body is cumbersome to carry yet he needs immediate medical attention or else he might not make it from blood loss alone, not including infection or perhaps even tetanus.

**2 Hours Later**

Lloyd pounds on the door of the Monastery, shouting, "Mom! It's us! Open the door! Mom, help us!"

I hear a heavy bolt being slid and the metal and wooden door groans. "Lloyd?" Pixal comes out and gasps, "What happened to you?"

"I…don't know. No one stopped us from saving them and we found them in this condition," I respond.

"Come in," Pixal lets us in and I place Kai on the table I had been on mere hours ago.

Marcy and Misako quickly set to work on him and both Sensei Wu and Garmadon put the other two ninja in Lloyd's room. I sit in the living room, waiting anxiously for news of them while Pixal cleans my grazed arm and Lloyd sits on the couch across from us. "What happened back there?" Lloyd asks.

"What do you mean?" I respond.

"You were acting strange and you kept muttering something about how 'this…is the-same.' You acted like something like this happened before. What exactly is going on?"

"It did happen!" I blurt out, startling Pixal. She knocks onto my wound, jumping in surprise at my sudden loudness.

"Ah!" I gingerly touch my bloody arm.

"What happened?" Lloyd demands.

I draw in a deep breath before saying, "I saw what happened to Kai's parents. They died, the same way."

Chapter 2

A Cold Murder

"W-what do you mean?" Lloyd stutters.

"Do you remember the way Cole was positioned?" I respond.

"In front of the bonfire, right?"

"Yes. That's the way Kai's mom was positioned, but she had a fatal stab wound to her heart. I don't know the precise details about his father though. The first as well as the last time I saw him alive was in that cave, fighting an armed woman. Even though Nya identified their bodies, I did not see how he was killed."

"How old were you then?" Pixal asks as she finishes tying my bandage.

"Thirteen."

"So Nya was eleven?" I nod.

Something shatters and I look behind me to see Kai's younger sister, holding Emma in her hands, on the verge of tears. Broken fragments of what-I-presume-was a cup are on the floor. "Y-you were…there," she makes out.

Melissa comes from behind her and puts a hand on the sorrowful mother's shoulder. "Sit down," she tells her softly.

The two mothers sit on the couch, next to Lloyd, and I continue the painful story, refraining from crying. A lump forms in my throat. "Kai's father protected us from the woman, but as we ran away, several other people pursued us. We escaped, yet were only orphans."

"Wait a minute," Nya interrupts me, "Why didn't you say anything to my brother and I about the matter before?"

"I didn't know about it until the day after I found I was a robot."

"I remember. That's when you started having sudden attacks and became unconscious for a week," she says.

"Yes. A kindly old lady and a young girl took me in and the girl had a brother, named Jason."

"Yes…it's becoming clearer. I remember the name and the teen Jason picked on you in school," Nya interrupts again. I can't blame her for it.

"That was not all he did. He abused me whenever he had the opportunity."

"He abused you?" Lloyd exclaims.

"How?" Melissa asks.

I draw in another deep breath. This is going to be harder than I expected and my eyes are already watering. "He would…beat me and he…slashed my arm…with a knife, and wouldn't let anyone know what was going on. His sweet sister, Jane, was oblivious to the abuse, even until the day she…" I pause, my voice straining. I put my head in my hands, vividly remembering her limp, bloody form in my arms.

"It's okay. Take your time, Zane," Pixal tells me, gently patting my back. I quietly look at her through my hands, seeing a compassionate woman, full of pity, yet filled with love.

I put my hands back down and smile sadly. "She…was murdered and so was her grandmother, by invaders."

"What!" everyone exclaims in unison.

"What happened after that?" Lloyd asks.

"Kai and Nya saved me by killing two of them. I…killed the last one and that's all I could remember."

No one says anything. Pixal takes my hand in hers and touches my face, turning me towards her. "None of it was your fault. It was self-defense." I cannot hold the tears any longer and they come, a constant stream. Pixal brings my head slowly down and I lie on her lap, silently crying with my eyes shut. I hear shuffling and the others must be leaving. I'm glad I'm alone with Pixal.

"Everything's going to be okay," she reassures me in a soothing tone, "You're okay."

She is so warm, so full of love, a feeling I have never known like this since my father passed. Of course, my brothers and sister love me, but not in the same way. Perhaps everything will be okay, after all.

**No P.O.V.**

A woman gazes through her binoculars, her long, brown hair dangling in front of her face. She moves it out of the way, seeing Zane lying in Pixal's lap while Lloyd, Melissa, and Nya, holding Emma, leave the room. "Perfect."

"When shall we strike?" Jason asks.

"Not now. We need to wait until they are off guard."

"When will that be?"

"Soon."

"In a week maybe?" Jason suggests.

The woman smiles as she puts the binoculars back around her neck, and says, "Yes."

**Zane P.O.V.**

**A Week Later**

I lie on my bed, reading a book about poisonous plants, not that I am paranoid about being poisoned or any such thing. It's just a matter of interest and will keep my mind off the recent incidents. No more activity has occurred and my gash is mostly healed. I'm not certain if that is good or bad, but I can only hope it's the former.

"Zane?" Pixal pokes her head through the white door.

I set my book next to me and sit up, but my head meets the top bunk. "Ouch," I say flatly, rubbing my head.

Pixal chuckles and asks "Do you want me to make it better?"

I nod sheepishly and she ambles to me, stooping over. She kisses my head with soft lips, before a knock comes at the door.

"Hey Zane!" Lloyd skips into the room without being permitted in, but oh well. It's his room too. "Oh, am I interrupting you two?"

Pixal pulls away, blushing, and I respond, "No. What is it?"

"Um…what was it? Oh!" Lloyd snaps his fingers, a habit I can't stand. "This pretty brunette handed me several invitations to go to a restaurant!"

I furrow my brows. This does sound suspicious and I ask him, "Why? Do you know her?"

"No, but she said she's doing this to honor us for saving the city again."

"Oh, okay."

"She invited Pixal too," Lloyd tells us.

"Okay. Do you want to go?" I turn to my first love.

Pixal nods, beaming. "Yes. I would certainly love to."

She left the room and the boys and I got ready. We had to wear nice clothing, so I put on navy blue pants, and a white dress shirt with a tie the same color as my pants. I exit the door to bump into the girls. Pixal…she's beautiful. She wears a light purple, Grecian dress that has one strap, exposing two thin, perfectly figured shoulders. It goes to a little above her knee and the bottom slants to the left. The dress has a section of lace close to the edge, showing a bit more of her legs. She wears a pair of white heart earrings and a silver necklace just like it.

"Do you like it?" she asks folding her hands shyly.

I feel my face heat up and I can only nod. The other girls laugh and I hear Jay's voice behind me, "Zane, will you let us out?"

"Oh, sorry," I say and move out of the way, "Are you well enough to come?" I ask Kai as he comes out.

"It's not active, so if I'm careful, I should be okay," the fire ninja responds.

**Chapter 3**

**Traumatic Knowledge**

"Wow!" Lloyd exclaims as we enter the restaurant and are greeted by a girl dressed as a maid, "She spared no expense!"

I tug at Lloyd's green sleeve, mouthing the words, 'don't shout'. I slip my hand into Pixal's and observe the area, drinking in the exquisite details. Most of the entire place is a velvety red including the walls, chair cushions, tablecloths, waiter uniforms, throw rugs that go under the table, and even some of the ornate porcelain decorations. The entire place is vacant, besides the staff and one table in particular.

A waiter directs us to the long table with two-dozen velvety chairs, outlined in gold thread. Pixal and I go to the far end and I pull a chair out for her. She smiles, sitting down, and says softly, "Thank you, Zane."

We all sit on one side, across from our gracious host and her guests in this order from farthest to nearest: Kai, Melissa, Marcy, Jay, Cole, Sensei Wu, Sensei Garmadon, Lloyd, another guest who I do not know, Pixal, and I.

Nya is staying at the Monastery to baby sit Emma and Misako is keeping her company.

Little figurines are lined up on shelves, against most parts of the wall. One in particular draws my attention.

A delicate woman, wearing a white and purple dress with silver trimmings, is on her knees, holding a man in her thin arms. The man's blond hair and face resembles mine in an eerie manner, and he is pale, almost to the point of being white. His mouth is agape and his body is permeated in blood. A knife is plunged in his chest and several other figures are gathered around him, tears running down the face of a man dressed in blue. The others are dressed in red, green, and black, and the one they are mourning for is wearing white. I shudder, wondering if I'm just being too suspicious or is this representing us, with me dead.

_A scene flashes in front of my face on the table. A phantom of me is holding two golden handles with sharp, black edges that connect to a giant machine, with a hideous creature on it, somehow resembling the Overlord. Jay is below, screaming at me, "Zane! Let go!"_

_"Zane is protecting us," Sensei says to my brothers and they back away, fading from the scene. A portion of my face falls off and I struggle to hold onto the pieces._

_"You fool! Let go!" the creature shouts, trying to get me to release him._

Pain rips through my heart and I flinch, nearly crying out from the sudden assault on my body.

Pixal touches my shoulder and asks, "Are you okay?"

"Where is the restroom?" I ask the waiter.

He points to the right and I leave the table as quickly as I dare. The scene is so vivid, so painful. I stumble into the men's room, and lean against the sink, trying as hard as I can to keep from screaming. I hold a hand over my heart. I want to open my chest up and see what's wrong, but I realize the truth. I'm a human. I had always wanted to be the same as my family, yet now…I want to be a Nindroid again.

_I hear my voice straining as I proclaim, "A…ninja…never…quits!" Ice covers the nasty Overlord-like thing, and blinding light flashes in an instant. The scene changes to Cyrus Borg, wheeling his chair over to a cloth that he pulls off a large object, revealing a titanium statue of…myself. _

_I see his lips moving, but cannot hear what is said, and my falcon perches on the statue's arm. My family comes up in front of it, looking quite solemn. Even Jay has his head down and is silent, without a trace of happiness._

_The scene changes again to Pixal in the main room of the Borg tower, crying hysterically, and hugging her body close to herself, all alone._

"Pixal, what's the matter?" I reach out to touch her, but hand slips right through her.

_The computers turn on of their own accord, and it shows the first thing Pixal ever said to me._

_"You are Zane," she states, "a droid like me. What does Zane, stand for?"_

_"I stand for peace, freedom, and courage in the face of all who threaten Ninjago," I respond on the computer._

_Pixal's face brightens and she rushes out the room, to the factory door, which opens for her, also of its own will. She runs onto the automatic belt and she is brought into the middle of the room. The machines approach her gently and a slightly monotone voice asks her, "Are we…compatible now?"_

My knees buckle and give way. That voice…is mine. I hear footsteps approaching the bathroom, and I get up, turning the left knob of the faucet under the false pretence of washing my hands. The man that had been sitting next to Lloyd enters, passing by me.

"Ah!" I yank my hands away from the water and immediately turn it off. I had put the hot water on, but now that I am human, I cannot tolerate that much heat.

I dry my hands with a white towel before returning to my seat, where the appetizers have already been laid out for us. Lloyd is in a deep conversation with a brunette in a red dress. She is our host, I suppose. I resume my seat, next to a quiet Pixal. "Are you not hungry?" I ask.

"Not really," she responds, smiling.

I look down at my plate and notice two unusual foods. The first is chanterelle a mushroom that is only used in special places, though perhaps I ought to say the food is rare. The next is Queen Anne's lace, a delectable wild carrot. I had been reading about its poisonous look-alike prior to leaving the Monastery, though I haven't reached the part about their differences."

The vivid scene has left me no appetite, so I don't touch the food at all and listen to Lloyd's conversation instead. The guest leans across Pixal and asks, "Are you going to eat that?" I shake my head and hand him the plate. After close to a half hour, Pixal, Victoria (our host), and I are in a deep conversation about the poisonous plants.

"What would you consider the most toxic plant you are aware of?" Victoria asks.

"It would be…hemlock I suppose," I respond, "It can act up in approximately thirty minutes and kill you within several hours, even if you merely touch it to your mouth. It is found abundantly throughout the populated areas of Ninjago and is easily mistaken as Queen Anne's lace. There was once a philosopher named Socrates that claimed the earth was round, so he was given hemlock as a punishment."

"Oh? What are the symptoms?" Pixal asks curiously.

"The symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, a weak pulse, weakness, nervousness, abdominal pain, nausea, headache, tremors, dilated pupils, and increased salivation."

"That would be a terrible way to pass," Lloyd comments.

"I forgot to introduce you to my nephew, Clive," Victoria motions to an empty seat, next to Pixal. "Where did he go?"

"Do you mean the heavy man with red hair?" I inquire.

Lloyd gives me a reprimanding look. "Yes," Victoria says.

"He went to the restroom a few moments ago," I notify her.

"That's odd. He went there only a half hour ago," Sensei Garmadon notes.

"I'll go check on him, if you would like ma'am," Lloyd offers, pushing his chair back, and getting up.

"Would you, please?"

"Hey, ninja are here for the people right?" Lloyd smiles before heading to the men's room.

"I've been intending to ask you, what does that figurine represent over there?" I point to the one that had deeply disturbed me earlier.

"Oh," Victoria pushes her red, framed glasses father up the bridge of her pale nose, "That is-"

A loud crashing sound from the men's room throws away all thoughts of continuing the discussion and all of us are quickly on our feet, heading to where the noise was. I go to the door, grabbing the handle, and push. It's locked. "Cole, can you get this open?" I ask.

"No problem," he responds, "Back up everyone." We back away as he shouts, "Earth!"

He sends a blast of dirt from his hands, breaking the door open, and we all pile in the room. "Lloyd!" we all scream in unison.

"Clive!" Victoria exclaims.

Chapter 4

A Royal Poison

"Lloyd!" I shout a second time. The green ninja is lying on the ground, gasping for air, and Clive is on top of him, holding a rope in his thick hands.

"Lloyd, can you hear me?" Sensei Garmadon asks as I roll the big man off my brother with slight difficulty. My mouth drops open in horror, seeing the rope is partially around the boy's throat and there is a red and purple mark on him, most likely from attempted strangulation.

Lloyd coughs violently for a few seconds before responding, "He tried to strangle me! He put this around my throat!" The ninja yanks the cord from around his neck and throws it to the side.

"What's wrong with him?" Melissa points to Clive, who is vomiting, and is holding his stomach, writhing.

I don't know why I am doing this, but I grab his wrist, a bit forcefully, and take his pulse. It's weak. I check his eyes and find the pupils dilated. Saliva drips from his mouth, and his body tremors violently. My eyes widen as I realize what the symptoms are from. "What's the matter, Zane?" Marcy asks, a hint of anger mixed with fear in her voice.

I ignore her and question Clive, "Do you have any abdominal pain?"

The man nods before throwing up again, on my shirt. "Zane, what is wrong with him?" Victoria demands, sobbing.

"It is most likely hemlock poisoning," I announce.

"Get him to the hospital, now!" Victoria screams frantically and several of the other guests get Clive to bring him there.

**Five Hours Later**

I sit quietly by the phone in the Monastery, waiting patiently for news of the man who attempted to murder my brother, after having taken a shower and changed. I still smell the stench from the puke. I have so many questions to ask him. Everyone else is impatient, and I mean everyone, even Sensei Wu. Kai is drumming his fingers on the countertop, glancing around occasionally while Jay is explaining what happened to Nya, who is holding a sleeping Emma. Pixal is at the Borg tower researching the plant. Cole is pacing the kitchen for the approximate thirty-fifth time and Both Sensei are discussing something. Marcy, Melissa, and Misako are tending to Lloyd's strangulation bruise, yet this does not compute.

If Clive wants to murder Lloyd, why would he bother both poisoning as well as strangling him? It would be less of a hassle to feed him the poison and let him die, but _he himself_ ended up the poisoned one.

Wait! He asked me for my plate and ate Queen Anne's lace, but what if it was hemlock? I rush to my shared room and grab the book on poisonous plants, quickly flipping to the two pages on hemlock. My eyes survey the pages and I spot the differences between the deadly plant and its look-alike. I rush back out into the kitchen and say, "Guys, listen to this!"

"What is it?" Pixal asks as she enters the Monastery.

I respond, "It's about the differences between hemlock and Queen Anne's lace.

"Small crimson or purple flowers are in the very center of each bloom. The stem on the edible plant is hairy and green, without any discolorations. The hemlock, on the other hand, has a stem without hairs and has some purple or black spots and possibly streaks. The scent is the most prominent as well as important method of determining whether or not it is the right one. Queen Anne's lace has a carrot smell, but the smell of the fatal hemlock is musty," I read aloud.

"The room was heavily perfumed." Kai points out, "Maybe someone else tried to cover the smell."

"Great thinking, Kai," Melissa comes up and rubs her husband's shoulders, the living room not being far from the kitchen. He turns her to face him, beaming. _Boy, she certainly must have stroked his ego. _

"Thanks dear," he says, planting a kiss on Melissa's cheek.

"I noticed though that Clive ate from my plate as well. My appetizer did smell strange, yet I did not take notice of it at the time," I tell them.

"Great thinking, _Zane_," Pixal compliments me, giving me a pop kiss on my cheek and stares at Melissa for a few moments.

Soon, we all burst out laughing, even me. Despite the recent incidents, everyone is still cheerful, and that is a wonderful thing for, humans, and droids. Pixal's beaming face brings the memory of her crying in the Borg tower back to my mind, and I push the thought away. _Later. Now's not the time._

The phone rings and Kai instantly picks it up. "This is the Garmadon's residence. Clive? How is he?"

We all tense up at the man's name, listening intently to the conversation from Kai's side, of course. "Yeah? What!" he exclaims and I instantly am on feet, waiting to know what's going on. Did Clive survive or did he die? "I understand. Thank you," Kai says and hangs up.

"Is he okay?" Lloyd asks anxiously.

Kai takes a deep breath before announcing to us, "No. He is dying. Victoria told me she he needs us to come over immediately. He has something to tell us."

**Chapter 5**

**Last Words**

"We are looking for Clive Herman. Which room is he in?" Kai asks the lady at the front desk of the hospital.

All of us crowd around her, waiting anxiously as she responds, "Give me a moment please." She flips through quite a few papers before notifying us, "He's in room 2406."

"Thank you," I say and turn to Kai, Jay, and Cole, "Would you please park the hover cars for us?"

"No problem," Kai responds before heading out with Jay and Cole trailing behind.

"I'll go too," Nya says while patting a sleeping Emma's back. I smile, watching the little angel. _She is such a good child. It's too bad Pixal and I won't have one._

"Wait for me!" Melissa exclaims, catching up with her husband and taking his hand.

"Let us know if anything happens!" the earth ninja calls as we walk briskly to the elevator.

I turn, giving him a nod before pressing on a silver button with an arrow pointing upwards. After several minutes of waiting and tapping my foot on the white floor, the doors slowly slide open, only to reveal an elevator, with five other people, including a hospital patient, holding an IV. "Let's split up," Sensei Wu tells us.

Lloyd and I enter the crowded elevator, squeezing in the front and the others move to another one. "Which floors?" Lloyd asks.

"24," the male patient responds. Everyone else is silent, so I suppose we're all going for the same one and I press the number button. The doors shut and I feel the floor drop slightly before ascending, wondering how the actual elevator looks. The patient begins coughing and drops the IV, falling on all fours.

"Are you alright?" I stoop over, moving to examine him when Lloyd shouts, "Knife!"

I see a flash of light from the metal and leap away as the man does a quick up thrust with the blade, narrowly missing my abdomen. He yanks the needle out of the IV and rushes at me as the elevator lights go out.

"What's going on?" I hear a little girl scream, "Mommy! Help me!"

I back up, slamming my body into the wall, feeling a slight pain in my face, the needle grazing my left cheek. I grab his arm, twisting it downwards and another man, disguised as a nurse, throws a kick at me. I move to the right, shoving the first attacker into him. Both weapons clatter on the slippery floor and I glance back quickly and can barely make out Lloyd fighting someone else. A little girl is banging on the elevator doors, screaming. "Help us! Help us!"

The lights come back on; then back off, flashing constantly, and making things difficult to see, but they turn off again. The men reach for the weapons and I kick them out of the way, closer to Lloyd, who is slamming another "nurse" into the opposite wall. I do a speedy sweep with my left leg into the "patient's", knocking him to the floor as the other man dives for me, wrapping both thick arms around my mid-section.

He shoves me, still holding on, into Lloyd, knocking the green ninja on the floor. Resisting him is of no use, so I need to do something else, lickety-split, before we're both dead. I grab the man by his shoulders, and twist to the side, slamming him into the assailant Lloyd had been fighting.

The other two people in casual attire must be back up, because both whirl around to attack us after the other men are down, at least I believe they are. They both pull out knives as I help Lloyd up. The green ninja whips into his tornado, knocking the two down in a flash of light. If only Pixal were here, I could have done Spinjitzu and helped by brother, but I can't keep harping on that fact. It feels terrible sometimes, as well as wonderful, to be a human, especially after the fight.

The beneficial feelings are that I can sweat to cool down and I feel…alive, with the adrenaline pumping throughout my body. If I had been injured, on the other hand, that would have been a horrible feeling after the adrenaline wore off, especially since I have to take a long time to heal instead of being repaired in mere minutes.

The lights come on and I see the little girl, who is crouched in a corner, sobbing. "Are you okay?" I ask her. She nods. "Where's your mommy?"

She sniffles and responds, "She told me to meet her at floor 24, having me go with that nurse."

"What's your name?" Lloyd questions softly.

"Crystal. I'm six."

_Oh my goodness. Why would any mother drop her six-year-old with a complete stranger, especially a man? _"Listen, we're the ninja. We will get you to your mommy. Come here."

"Yay!" the girl exclaims, running into my arms, only being around the height of my hip and I'm 5' 10" "Zane!"

"Is he your favorite ninja?" Lloyd asks while patting her blond head.

She nods and says, "Yeah, but I like you too."

My brother smiles, "How come you're in the hospital?"

"Well…my daddy got bit by a snake."

"A snake? I hope he's okay," I respond.

"He will because Mommy said he's going to heaven."

Lloyd and I exchange glances. This poor little girl is so young, even younger than I was when I lost my memory and my father passed. The doors slide open, revealing a woman, with blond hair like Crystal, holding her arms out. I squint from the sudden lights as the girl lets go of me and bolts into her mom's arms. "Mommy, I met the ninja!"

Her mom takes her by the hand and leads her away, after saying a curt, "Thank you." Her eyes were red and puffy, so perhaps he already passed. Kai, Jay, Melissa, Nya, holding Emma, and Cole all appear from the stairs next to us as we exit our elevator.

"Hey, you know you could have taken the stairs using Spinjitzu instead of the elevator, slowpoke," Jay says to us. His words sting me. I can't do it anymore, and perhaps I am merely a burden to my brothers.

Nya pinches Jay and he gives a small yelp. "Ouch! What was that for?" His wife mouths something to him and he turns to me, looking apologetic. "Sorry Zane."

"It's alright brother," I reply.

The others come out of the other elevator. "Zane, what happened to your face?" Pixal points at me.

"Oh," I touch my left cheek, "I…uh…Lloyd and I we're attacked on the elevator.

"Yeah, that's why I'm keeping my foot in the door, so it won't close," Lloyd notifies us and requests, "Could you call security, please?"

"Sure. Go on ahead without us," Garmadon, Misako, and Wu leave hastily.

"Okay guys. We need to go to room six," Cole announces.

"Cole?" Jay says.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"You passed it already."

"Oh, sorry," the earth ninja moves a few steps back and I knock softly on the white door, leaving Lloyd with his foot in between the elevator doors.

Victoria opens it, tears streaking her pale face, and says, "Come in, all of you. He wants you, Zane."

_Why would he want me? Perhaps to tell me why he was attempting to murder Lloyd or me? _I take a chair next to the bed, where Clive is attached to various tubes. An IV is in his wrist and a heart rate monitor beeps slowly, sending a chill down my spine. Something is covering his mouth to replenish oxygen in his lungs and he reaches a trembling hand to me.

I don't know why, but I take it, and lean in closely as the man strains to speak. "You…are a…target," he coughs a few times before continuing in a languishing voice, "Two…d-different…t-t-targets. T-two…different…killers; a-and…r-r-rem-member, t-the…r-r-red…eyes." His hand slips from my grasp and the heart monitor goes flat.

**Chapter 6**

**Morphine?**

**In the Hover Car**

I put my head in my hands, feeling overwhelmed by the unusual things that have taken place recently. I am still perplexed by both the strange, vivid scenes, and Clive's last words. _You are a target. Two different targets. Two different killers; and remember the red eyes. What does that mean?_

"You okay?" Kai asks from the driver's seat.

"Yes…I'm fine. I'm merely perplexed by the dying message," I respond.

"Yeah, I didn't get it either," Lloyd says from the passenger seat.

Pixal and I are in the back, and she sets a delicate hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry. We will figure it out. Just rest for a bit and I'll wake you up when we arrive at our destination."

"Thank you, Pixal," I smile, setting my hands on my legs, and lean against her shoulder, closing my eyes. She's so calm, so caring that I feel all my concerns dissipate, and I feel myself drift to sleep, filled with peace and…love.

_"Zane, where are you?" I hear Pixal's voice calling me, sounding quite concerned, perhaps even anxious._

_"Zane, answer us!" Jay shouts._

_"Zane, please wake up!" I hear several voices calling me frantically and my eyes shoot open._

"I'm here!" I respond, only to find everyone staring at me, back in the Monastery.

"Wait! Wasn't I-"

"Where were you?" Jay exclaims, "We thought you were crazy!"

"Jay," Nya tugs at his sleeve, "Stop it. He just woke up."

"Jay's concerned, that's all," Lloyd adds in, before turning to me, "What happened?"

"What do you mean what happened?" I ask, perplexed, "Um…do you mind backing up a bit so I can sit up?"

"Oh yeah, sorry," Melissa responds as everyone makes space for me.

"That's okay," I tell her as I push myself on one elbow on the couch, feeling abnormally drowsy, and I sway.

"You okay?" Cole asks as he and Lloyd help me sit. A sharp pain shoots through my abdomen and I touch it, feeling sick as well.

"What's wrong?" Sensei Wu questions me.

"I feel abnormally drowsy and there's pain in my stomach," I respond, "Do you have any water? My mouth is dry for some reason."

"Sure. I'll go get it," Kai says, and heads for the kitchen.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Lloyd asks.

"Yeah, why did you leave the hover car?" Jay chimes in.

"Hover car," I repeat the words, trying to remember where I was last, "Hover car…"

"Well?" Cole says.

"Oh, I remember," I tell them, "We we're in the hover car when…" I pause. Everything is somewhat hazy, as if the events took place a long time ago.

"When what?" Sensei Garmadon presses.

"I…fell asleep after talking to Pixal, on her shoulder."

"Well? Go on," Kai urges me as he comes over and hands me a glass of water.

I gulp all of the cool liquid down in mere seconds before continuing. "All I remember is that you guys were calling me for a while, and then I woke up or something like that."

"But if that's the case, then why did we find you on the ground next to the car with the door open?" Misako asks.

"What?" I exclaim, becoming a little more concerned.

"Yeah, you sounded like Ian Malcolm from Michel Crichton's book called…" Lloyd thinks for a moment. "Ah! It was in The Lost World, where the guy Malcolm was injected with Morphine and he went a bit out of it."

"Crichton?" I repeat, not familiar with the name.

"How could you not know who he is? He's one of the authors with the best-selling novels in adult fiction!"

"Lloyd, aren't you a little young for his books?" Marcy says crossing her arms.

"Yeah, I've read three of his books and they're pretty gruesome," Melissa adds.

"Um…" Lloyd runs a hand through his wavy, blond hair nervously and smiles sheepishly, "I know, but they're so cool!"

"Where did you get the books anyway?" Nya asks suspiciously.

"From the library," Lloyd responds a little too hastily.

"You don't have a library card."

"Wait a minute! When did I say that I read more than one?"

Kai smirks and notifies the green ninja, "You said they're so cool, not it's so cool."

"Where did you get it from?" Jay demands.

"Uh…I-um…I borrowed it from Kai's collection."

"Then where is it? I've been looking everywhere for it!" Kai exclaims.

"The Ultra Dragon…got it." Lloyd points to the trash can and bolts away from a fuming Kai.

"Lloyd, when I get my hands on you I'm going to-" the fire ninja is cut off by Jay.

"Stop it you two!" he shouts, "We're supposed to be helping Zane here! Hello? Is

anyone home in there?" Jay walks up to Kai and Lloyd, who are both pulling each other's hair, and whacks both of them in the head.

"Hey!" Lloyd rubs his head.

"Stay out of it, Jay," Kai warns him.

_That's it. _I get off the table as Cole, Melissa, Nya, and both Sensei get entangled in the argument. Once my bare feet touch the tatami mat on the floor; however, my legs weaken and I barely stop myself from falling over. My stomach churns and I feel this odd sensation, making me want to be rid of something…something being the contents of whatever I consumed, though I haven't eaten much in the last few days. My head aches violently.

Pixal, Misako, and Marcy also go to stop the argument and I rush to the nearest bathroom, not having felt this horrible, ever. I quickly open the toilet lid, getting on my knees, and lean over it.

The shouting in the Monastery is making everything far worse as my world spins in constant circles and I feel something coming up my throat, something warm and scratchy. I open my mouth as the stuff comes forcefully up my throat, emptying it out into the toilet. Someone opens the door and I turn to see Melissa, with one hand on her stomach, the other on her mouth. When she sees me she quickly leaves, shutting the door behind her.

_Do women always throw up when they're pregnant? That must be awful. _I feel another round coming up and immediately expel more of the bitter tasting stuff. After several more times of this, I wipe my mouth, flush the toilet, and lie on the cold, white tile, feeling sick, and achy.

_Do all humans put up with this? Why am I so sick though? _I shut my eyes, hoping to fall asleep and be rid of the pain as well as sickness, but it does not come.

More sharp pain shoots up my abdomen and something comes across my mind. I quickly sit up and lift my casual T-shirt, seeing a needle mark in my mid-section. _Is this…Morphine?_

**Chapter 7**

**A Chilling Recollection**

The noise has subsided, but now I hear the others calling me again. I don't want to answer. I want to be alone and I lie back down. My aching head feels a little better on the cool tile and my stomach has improved somewhat; yet something nags at the back of my mind.

If only things weren't so hazy, I might be able to recollect and piece together what has been going on, but I can't remember anything, except for…the car stopping, and Pixal telling me something.

_"I'll be right back. Just stay here, okay?" she confirms._

_I nod sleepily before shutting my half-lidded eyes, and leaning on the door. An electric hum catches my attention and I sit up with my eyes open, peering out the window._

"Zane, are you in there?" I hear a knock and Lloyd's voice on the other side of the door. I merely lift my head as he comes in and exclaims, "Woah! What are you doing? You okay? Hello?"

"No," I groan, clutching my stomach in agony.

"What's wrong?"

"Morphine."

"What? How did you get that?"

"If you don't mind, I'm trying to remember what happened," I say.

"Oh sorry. Do you need anything?" Lloyd asks kind-heartedly.

"For what?"

"Your stomach."

"Yes please."

"Let me first check and see if you have a fever."

"A fever?" I ask. Though I've heard of it before, I obviously don't know what it feels like to have one.

"Yeah." Lloyd gets a thermometer from the medicine cabinet on the wall, pulling green lid off a plastic tube. He takes out a glass object with lines and numbers on it and brings it up to my mouth. "Ah!" he says.

"What do you-" He shoves the thermometer in my mouth and looks at his wristwatch.

"Keep it under your tongue for three minutes," Lloyd instructs me as Kai and Jay come through the doorway.

"You okay?" Kai asks as Jay bolts away from the bathroom, shouting out that he's fine.

I point at the thermometer protruding from my mouth and shake my head. After three minutes Lloyd removes it and stares at it for a moment before reading aloud, "103.6 degrees."

"Is that bad?" I ask.

"Uh, yeah," Cole says as he comes up behind the other two, "It's kind of bad."

"What will happen to me?" I sit up and clutch Lloyd's arm in fear.

The guys burst out laughing and Kai says, "You'll be fine, just a little sick, that's all. We'll just give you some Tylenol."

"Okay…when? Wait!" I shout, making Lloyd and Cole jump.

"Don't shout please. You scared us to death!" Lloyd says.

"What is it?" Kai asks.

"I think I was injected with Morphine so I do not think it is wise to give me any medicine," I inform my brothers.

"What?" Kai and Cole exclaim.

"So I was right!" Lloyd turns on the water and washes the thermometer over the sink thoughtfully.

"But how do you know?" Kai questions me.

"I have the symptoms and an injection hole in my abdomen," I respond while lifting my shirt for them to see.

"What? How did this happen?" Lloyd asks.

"Who did this?" Cole demands out of concern.

"I would like to know more than any of you, believe me," I tell them.

"I'm back. Are you okay Zane?" Jay's brown hair appears behind Lloyd's blond hair.

"I'm okay," I say, hoping to convince him, but no one buys it.

"Uh, sure you are. Yeah, being injected with Morphine, vomiting, having a fever of 103 degrees, and forgetting what even happened to you is not concerning in the slightest," Kai sarcastically remarks.

"What?" Jay exclaims.

"Would you please give me some time alone, to think about what took place, please?" I request.

"Okay. Do you want us to take you to your room?" Lloyd asks.

"Yes please."

The green ninja sets the thermometer down on the sink as Kai scoops me up in his arms with minor difficulty, carrying me to the room next to us. He sets me on the white bed, slipping the blanket from under me, and covers me with it. "Do you need anything?" Kai asks.

"Water, please."

"Okay. I've got it," Kai responds as he leaves the room we five share. Jay and Cole enter the former with paper towels and the latter with a bucket. Both set them down next to the bed and leave while Lloyd and Pixal come in and Kai returns with the water glass I had used.

My first love kneels beside the bed, and gently takes my left hand, speaking in her soft, feminine tone. "How are you feeling?"

"I always feel better when I see your face, or hear your lovely voice, or even feel your presence," I respond with a weak smile.

She runs a hand through my blond hair, chuckling. "Smooth talker."

"Well, I have always made my point right away."

"I'll stay with you. Now, get some sleep," she tells me and gives me a quick kiss on my forehead.

I feel my face heat up and Lloyd points at me. "Oh! Zane's embarrassed!"

I ignore him as I feel sleep coming upon me and I shut my eyes.

_"I'll be right back. You stay here, okay?" Pixal confirms._

_I nod sleepily before shutting my half-lidded eyes, and leaning on the door. An electric hum catches my attention and I sit up with my eyes open, peering out the window. Nothing. I shut my eyes and lie back down, across the seat this time before hearing the door open. "Pixal, what were you doing out there?" I ask. No response._

_I open my eyes only to see a black cloth cover my face and head. "What are you doing? No!" I scream as four hands grab hold of my legs and four hands grasp my arms. I kick and hit something hard, something that feels like a skull. Someone cries out and I feel a sharp pain as something pierces my abdomen. It is wrenched out after a few moments and a fist hits my head. Everything goes blacker than before._

My eyes open to reveal the beige ceiling of the Monastery room and I sit up slowly to avoid upsetting my stomach. Pixal is asleep in a chair, leaning on the bed when the door to the room opens. "Sorry to get you up. The police want to speak with you," Lloyd tells me.

Chapter 8

The Phone Call

Two detectives enter the room as I sit up with slight difficulty. They both have note pads and pencils in their hands, probably to make notes of what I tell them. The first man is tall with broad shoulders, wearing a casual black shirt and jeans with a few noticeable holes in them. His short, black hair is a mess, showing that he either cares about his job, or he's lazy. Judging by his tan and scarred arms and hands, he most likely cares more about his detective work. The second man is a complete contrast in more ways than merely looks and attire. He is shorter and his blond hair looks like it's been gelled often. He is wearing a navy blue dress shirt, and his hands are smooth and white. I also notice that his nails are trimmed, not that that means he doesn't care about his work. It could represent an individual that does care about his appearance.

"Zane Julien, I am detective George," the taller one says to me." I give him an attentive nod before the other man introduces himself.

"I am detective Harris." I give him a nod as well.

"Where were you between 5:30 and 10:00 P.M. the night of Clive's murder?" George asks, readying his pencil.

"I was here at 5:30 P.M. with my family and friends, until we all departed at 8:00 and drove to the restaurant. We arrived at his murder scene at 9:30 before Lloyd discovered him."

"We have confirmed your alibis already and they check out. Did you know the deceased?" George asks, scribbling notes down on his pad.

"No," I respond.

"How did you know his aunt, Victoria?"

"I didn't know her. Lloyd told me she invited us for dinner in order to thank us for saving Ninjago."

"What happened while you were there? Did you see anyone suspicious?" Harris questions me.

I tell the detectives about my suspicions and the hemlock, as well as the attempted strangling by Clive. After many notes, both men thank me and depart. All the while Pixal sleeps undisturbed in the slightest, and finally awakes right as they leave.

"You're awake," she says to me, smiling brightly, "Would you like me to get you anything?"

"No thank you. Just go sleep in your room," I respond, glancing at the analog clock above me that reads 5:45. "You need to get some rest. Today, or technically yesterday, was quite long."

"I'm alright. I want to keep you company for a while."

I smile back. "Thank you, Pixal. I love you."

"I love you too Zane," she says, smoothing out my hair, "What's the matter?"

She must have seen my concerned face so I might as well tell her what's on my mind. "After all of this is over…will you still…marry me?"

"Of course I will," she responds without hesitation, and hugs me gently.

I return the embrace, still feeling fear creeping upon me. What if everything is not okay? What if we…are not okay? Words my father read to me come to my mind at the moment. _Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself._

He's right. I shouldn't worry about it until then, except that it is tomorrow already. "Pixal, where is Lloyd?" I ask her.

"Hmm? Oh, he told me that he was going to take a walk."

"Why would he do that? Doesn't it sound a bit strange?"

"You're right. It does seem a bit unusual to walk at this hour. Perhaps I ought to contact him."

"I'll do it," I tell her and grab the cellular phone next to my bed on the white dresser and I dial Lloyd's number. The phone rings six times before someone picks up, but all I hear are two sounds: a clink of metal and some kind of rain-like noise in the background. "Hello? Lloyd, are you there?"

No response. "Lloyd, can you hear me?" Utter silence.

I sigh, about to hang up when a weak voice answers. "Z-Zane? I'm-I'm…here. Ah!" I hear a blunt sound and another clink of metal.

"Where are you?" I ask anxiously, while pressing the record button on the phone.

"I'm in between the buildings of the…ah!" I pull my ear away from the ear-piercing scream.

I hear coughs and more blunt sounds before I hear another, deeper voice speak. "We will contact you again. If you call the police we will kill the green ninja."

"No!" Lloyd screams in the background and is cut by the phone being hung up.

I hang mine up, staring at it in fear, "No…Lloyd."

"What the matter?" Pixal asks, standing up with wide, emerald eyes.

"I think he's been kidnapped, and possibly injured."

Pixal gasps in horror, covering her mouth. "Would you please get the others?" I ask. She nods, and quickly leaves the room, returning in a few minutes with everyone trailing behind.

"I heard Lloyd's in trouble," Kai says.

"What's going on?" Sensei Wu asks.

"Yeah, is he okay?" Jay adds.

"Quiet! Let him speak!" Garmadon shouts. Everyone stops and I grab my phone; then press the "button" on the touch screen to play the recording.

_"Where are you?" I ask._

_"I'm in between the buildings of the…ah!" Lloyd screams and coughs._

_"We will contact you again. If you call the police we will kill the green ninja," a deep voice says._

_"No!" Lloyd wails._

The recording ends and everyone simply stares at me, from disbelief perhaps. Jay, of course, is the first one to break the unbearable silence. "How could that be? How could he be caught? He's the green ninja!"

"He gave us our powers after the techno blades were used, which were his only means of adequate protection," I tell them.

"Why did he go out anyway?" Cole asks.

"And how come he didn't say anything?" Kai finishes.

"My son will be okay," Misako tries to convince us while clutching onto her husband's arm.

"I told you before!" Sensei Garmadon gets into Sensei Wu's face. "It was dangerous for Lloyd to give up his golden powers!"

"Please stop it you two!" Melissa shouts as she and Kai pull the men apart.

"So what now?" Pixal asks and all eyes turn to me.

Chapter 9

The Video and the Instructions

I return the stare at them, considering our options. "I think it would be best to notify the authorities because I know how this works. The police can track the kidnapper's location by the phone call, so it may be of help in finding Lloyd," I say, waiting for their separate reactions, since each individual has a different personality.

"Yeah! That sounds great!" Jay exclaims and grabs the phone by the bedside. "I'll notify them right away."

"No!" Kai yanks it away from the lightning ninja and tells us, "It's too risky. What if the kidnapper gets agitated and brings harm to our brother?"

"Kai's right. We need to wait this out and find out what the men or men want from us," Sensei Wu chimes in.

"Yeah, he could be in a lot of danger," Cole adds, "It sounded like he was injured on that recording."

"Actually, he sounded like he was being beaten," Melissa notes.

"If things go awry or they don't give us Lloyd the first time, we will call the police," I give in.

"Okay," Misako says, taking the phone from Kai and setting it back where it was.

"Well, we better get some rest. How about we each take turns waiting for the call while everyone else sleeps?" Pixal suggests.

"Sure. I'll take the first watch," Sensei Garmadon volunteers.

**7:30 A.M. -2 Hours and 15 Minutes Post the Call**

I haven't been able to sleep at all. I've been trying to think of the possible scenarios of what could happen if the kidnapping went wrong and how to fix them. The possibilities are numerous and most are certainly fatal, unfortunately. What can I do to save him? What can _we_ do to get him back alive and well?

I glance at a snoring Kai on the floor and realize this will be my watch. The others insisted on all sleeping in this room in case someone came after me, which I highly doubt at the moment. If they-whoever those people are-have my brother, they will not go after any of us yet, I hope.

The phone rings and my hand is instantly grabbing it, and I shout, "Wake up! It's the call!"

Kai, Jay Cole, Sensei, Misako, and Marcy are up immediately, but the others are sleeping like a rock. "Well?" Jay says rubbing his eyes sleepily, "Aren't you going to answer it?"

I press the button and put it on speakerphone. "Hello?" _Okay…why did I say that?_

"Come to Jamanukai village, alone, without any of the other ninja and bring a clay pot with a lid," a deep voice tells me, "If do not have it there within six hours, this will happen." The phone hangs up.

"Okay…what the heck?" Jay breaks the awkward silence.

Beep! I look at the cell phone and see I've received a video. "What is it?" Kai asks as they crowd around my bed, and I press play.

On the screen, Lloyd appears, sitting against a concrete wall, with his hands behind his back, meaning he must be tied up. A cloth is in his mouth and his face is a pale as a sheet of paper, even his lips are white. He looks up, with his green eyes bloodshot and his clothing torn and with a little bit of blood, but he mostly has bruises on his face.

A man all dressed in black with a mask on is holding a metal rod, and slams it into Lloyd's chest. The green ninja cries out in pain and doubles over, coughing up blood that drips on the floor, and the kidnapper kicks his side.

"If you fail to deliver it…" the attacker says and pulls out a knife, holding it up to Lloyd's already bruised throat, "he won't make it out alive." He pulls the boy's gi off his left shoulder, which is already purple and red, and slowly drags the blade across the upper part of his arm, directly below his shoulder.

The video ends. "No Lloyd," Misako gasps, tears running down her cheeks as Garmadon embraces her.

"Do you have any clay pots?" I ask the bewildered couple.

Garmadon nods, "On the counter."

"Okay. I'm going alone," I announce, getting out of my bed, but when my feet touch the floor, Kai grabs me. "I have to do this, please. Let go of me."

"You're sick," the fire ninja states the obvious.

"I know."

"You cannot go out in such a vulnerable state," Marcy tells me.

"I have to," I insist, "If I don't, they will kill Lloyd. Please, he doesn't have much time left."

"Okay, but promise me you will be find and you'll come back in one piece," Jay pats my back as Kai releases me from his grip.

"You need help?" Cole asks me while I stand, finding my entire body achy and weak, though still able to move.

"I'm okay," I reassure him.

I get the pot and take one of the hover cars. On the way to the village, the phone starts ringing again, and I pick it up. "Hello?"

"Zane?" a familiar voice asks and I nearly drop the phone.

"Where are you?" I say.

"I don't know, but I think something bad is going to happen."

"What do you mean?"

"Just be careful. This might be a trap."

Chapter 10

Double Traps

"Are there any unique markings or details about the place you are being held?" I ask, hoping he's okay and that I can find him as I press the recording button again.

"There's a-wait a minute. Don't hang up or say anything," Lloyd says and I hear a shuffle.

"What do you have behind your back?" a voice demands.

"Nothing except my hands that you tied behind my back," Lloyd retorts in an irritated tone.

I hear a smack and heavy panting, probably from the green ninja, and the man's voice sounds like his teeth are gritted. "Don't play with me, kid. I am not dumb."

"I know, right?" my brother's sarcastic voice concerns me deeply. He's going to be in real trouble if he doesn't learn to keep his impudent mouth closed shut, but…poor kid. How many things has he gone through at such a young age? He's only about twelve at the moment, but has gone through things even adults should not have known.

"Silence!" I hear another slap and another sound, perhaps a blow.

Someone spits and Lloyd responds, "You're going to pay for this when my brothers find you!" I get it now. He's distracting the kidnapper's attention from the cell phone, so this is a precarious situation. I have to remain silent.

"Are you just going to let him mouth off like that?" a second voice that is a woman's shouts and footsteps are approaching.

I hear a blunt sound and a metal clinking sound, again. "Ah!" Lloyd cries out. More shuffling. I am going to go crazy if I can't find him and find out what's going on. Being a human has made me less patient apparently.

"Why…are you…doing this to…me?" Lloyd coughs violently and chokes on something, which may be blood.

I hope he's okay. The sooner I get this over with, the better. A sudden sickness assaults my stomach, and that unpleasant, yet familiar feeling of something wanting to shove its way up my throat returns. I glance at the road ahead of me, seeing a gas station next to me, and turn off to that direction.

"Move away from the wall," the woman's voice tells him.

"Do…you-think I…can?" Lloyd coughs again as I park the hover car, and quickly open the door; then take my seatbelt off while I press the speaker button.

I put the cell phone in my pocket and hear more shuffling before darting off the concrete, onto the grass. Next to the station, I retch, releasing a pale, yellowish, as well as bitter, substance on the ground.

It's repulsive. I just wish the sickness would leave me and I could find Lloyd, but all I do at the moment is release more that forced its way up my throat. I shut my eyes, feeling a swoon and a third wave of nausea attacks me, before I hear that woman's voice saying something, but I do not catch the words.

"Is anyone here?" the voice asks.

I wipe my mouth and open my eyes, pulling the phone out; then respond, "This is Zane Julien."

"Zane Julien, are you close to the village?" she questions me.

"Yes."

"Where are you?"

"At the," I glance at the sign of the building next to me and tell her, "Shell gas station."

"My man is coming to pick you up." The phone hangs up and I stop the recording.

I put it in my pocket and close my eyes before I go for another round of nausea and throwing up. _How long will this last? _I open my eyes again; to see a bit of blood mixed in with the substance I just expelled and touch my burning and aching forehead. I just hope I will be able to do this, until he's safe.

I stumble back to the car again, and grab two plastic containers from the cup holder, filled with white powder, setting them on the seat next to me. I lean my head back, waiting for the accomplice to pick me up, always on the verge of leaping out of the vehicle and finally close the driver's door.

Someone taps on the window on my side, and I flinch, before turning and seeing a little brunette girl of about ten. I roll the window down and she asks kind-heartedly, "Are you lost?"

"No," I respond, giving her a fake smile. She's a cute little kid, but right now all I need to worry about is rescuing Lloyd at the moment. The person could show up at any time and this child could be in peril.

"Then why are you out here?"

"I'm waiting for someone."

"A girlfriend?" she asks.

"No, a friend. I already have someone," I tell her, showing her my gold ring.

"Sweet! Bye now!" she waves at me and takes off her little braids bouncing up and down as she runs.

_That did seem a bit strange, but perhaps I'm worrying too much. Sighs. Where are you Lloyd? _I spot a black hover car pulling up next to me a few minutes later and a man, wearing a black coat, and a black cap that is low enough I can't see his face walks up to the vehicle. I slip the white powder under the driver's seat and he comes in the passenger's side.

"Drive. I'll tell you where to go," he says curtly.

I drive with him in the tense atmosphere for about ten minutes, all the while wanting to ask him questions, but not daring to speak. My nausea is another concern at the moment, though I try to ignore it as much as possible. I keep driving, yet when the village comes into view, he tells me, "Turn to the right." My sixth sense goes off.

**Chapter 11**

**Always Trust a Sixth Sense**

"Where are we going?" I ask, glancing at the man with suspicion. My sixth sense keeps warning me that something is not right.

_Well, of course having a kidnapped brother isn't right, but there's something else that makes me uneasy, though I can't put my finger on it, so to speak. I've picked a few things from the others, such as figures of speech, or metaphors. Wait. Why am I trailing off? _I peek at the rearview mirror, noticing that green hover car has been following us for quite a while.

Perhaps it's my family, or perhaps my imagination is getting the best of me. I hope the others are following me, yet that could lead to disaster as well. "Those people," the man points behind him, "are your friends, aren't they?"

"I don't know," I respond truthfully, "I came alone, I think."

"You think?" he repeats, cocking his head to one side, only bringing more tension in the air.

"What I'm saying is that I cannot keep anyone from following me. I really was intending to come alone."

"Just shake them off."

I don't know exactly how to 'shake them off', but I do my best, though feeling rather indignant as well as afraid. What if I really do lose them? What if Lloyd and I die alone? I shove those thoughts to the back of my mind and concentrate on the road, turning at unexpected moments, moving as if I'm going to the right, but head to the left, and so forth. I look in the rearview mirror only to be faced with a horrible realization. The vehicle is not in sight, which is both good and bad, and quite alarming.

I keep on driving, possibly for fifteen minutes or so, yet it seems like an eternity, until the man abruptly holds out a hand in front of me, saying, "Stop the car." I do, and he gets out before turning to me with an impatient expression. "Well? We don't have all the time in the world, do we?"

I could use a sarcastic retort, but I'm in enough trouble right now, so it's best not to invite more. "I need you to bring Lloyd out," I tell him, staring directly into his hazel eyes, which meet my blue ones with a harsh look.

"What did you say?" he asks, seeming as if he might flare up at any given moment.

"I said," I repeat, gripping the driver's wheel tightly out of both anger and fear, "I need you to bring Lloyd out."

He chuckles for a moment before responding in a screech. "Like heck I will! You can meet him yourself!"

He points to a concrete building about fifty feet away from us and lowers his voice, getting back in the seat until his face is inches away from mine. "Now, there are two ways to settle this," I feel his hot breath trembling with rage as he pulls something out of his jacket pocket, my best friend. _Oh great! I love knives!_

"The easy way to do this is to get your butt in there and bring Lloyd out," I tell him, merely hoping this man won't play with the blade.

"Okay, Nindroid. I'll bring him out alright," the man responds, putting his weapon away and heading for the building.

He enters in soon, and I tap my fingers on the steering wheel nervously, also chewing on my bottom lip. After about ten minutes, Flare (that's what I call him) returns, with a teen in green slumped over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. I feel a sudden urge to leap out of the car and attack the man who harmed my brother, but I control myself, knowing I have a better chance if I stick to my plan.

I reach under my seat, pulling the plastic, powder containers out, and set them behind me; then wait anxiously for the two, yet notice something that will make this difficult. Two more men, dressed in the same fashion, are trailing behind him, each holding a metal rod in his right hand.

I open the car door, stuffing the small powders in my jeans pocket, and grab the clay pot I had almost forgotten; the men approach them with rage burning deep within my heart, my human heart that pumps real blood. We stop a few feet away from each other, each eyeing one another. "I brought him, so get your butt in that building," Flare demands.

"You are on no terms to negotiate with me," I respond.

"What's this kid saying?" an African American man laughs before abruptly getting in my face, grabbing my shirt. "I'll get you to comply alright, boy. Now listen carefully because I will only tell you once. There is no way that my brother's and I are going to-" He never finishes his sentence.

I make use of the opportunity and slam the clay pot into his face, shoving him into the other kidnapper that doesn't have the green ninja. Both stumble backwards and Flare casts Lloyd on the ground next to him, throwing a kick at me. I catch his leg with one hand and quickly jab an elbow into his side; then shove him off balance. As he topples over, I pull out the powder containers, and throw them on the grass. Instantly white is everywhere, covering all of us and creating the perfect smokescreen. _It's now or never!_

I pick Lloyd up somehow, on my back, and quickly bolt to the hover car, shoving him through the passenger side, slamming the door, and getting into my side. As I turn the key in the ignition, I hear an ear-piercing boom and feel searing pain in the back of my left shoulder.

Despite the wound from what-I-presume-is a gun, I take off immediately, driving the hover car faster than I have ever dared, due to safety concerns, which the others laugh at me for. This will be the first time I drive like a maniac and most of my family won't be here to see it.

"Zane, what happened? Did you save me?" I glance next to me to see Lloyd sitting up with some difficulty and strapping himself in with the seatbelt. My senses still tell me something is wrong, but I am glad to see my brother safe again.

"Your shoulder," Lloyd points.

At the mention of that I wince, partially from pain and partially because I just realized something. "You never strapped yourself in without bring told. It's nice that you finally learned," I say, glancing at him again, and do a double-take. _Were his eyes red? _I think I saw them change color for a split second before the last words from Clive echo in my mind.

_Remember the red eyes._

I look at Lloyd again, but the fear goes away immediately. It's him. He's my brother even if my sixth sense is going off. I must be getting too suspicious or something because I know it's him.

**No P.O.V.**

"What's going on?" Lloyd asks, lifting his head off the cold concrete that he's been held captive in for too long. "Where's my family?"

A girl that resembles Victoria comes up to him, getting on one knee, and slaps his face. It stings. "Victoria, why are you doing this?" Lloyd gasps.

"I'm not Victoria, I'm Carmel, and you do not need to speak unless you are spoken to. The inquisitive humans do not last very long."

Chapter 12

The Stranger That Lives Here

**Zane P.O.V.**

"I'm going to drive, so pull over," Lloyd tells me.

"No," I merely respond. For some reason, I feel uneasy with him, as if he's just…I don't know, not my brother. _Don't be silly. Of course I can trust Lloyd, but he's injured too._

"Why?" the green ninja asks, crossing his arms.

"You're injured."

"You are too."

"But you've been-" I gasp, clutching the steering wheel from another shock of sudden, more intense pain assaulting my shoulder.

"Let me drive," Lloyd insists and I quickly swerve to the right, avoiding a truck that beeps loudly. "Pull over, now or else we're going to crash at this rate."

He sounds somewhat irritated as well as concerned so I pull over again, next to the gas station, and open my door. I scoot to the left, but once my sneakers touch the damp grass I hesitate. If I stand up, I don't know if I will be able to walk when I get up.

"Well, aren't you getting out?" Lloyd asks impatiently and I turn to him. He doesn't seem right and has never been like this with me, yet when his eyes meet mine, he seems to understand. "Here, let me help you," he offers, his face and voice softening.

He gets out of his side of the hover car and goes to mine; then helps me up by wrapping my right arm around his shoulder. We sort of hobble over to the passenger side, and I slip into my seat, knocking my wound into the side of the car. "Ah!" I gasp from the pain as I sit down in agony. _Breathe. Just breathe._

"You okay?" Lloyd asks as he straps me in with the seatbelt and makes his way to the driver's side.

He sounds polite and cold, not quite concerned about me, yet I must be thinking too much again. I lean my face against the dashboard, feeling my burning head cool down slightly before responding in a weak voice, "No." Most men merely say 'I'm okay', but I'd rather not put up the cliché façade.

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" he offers.

"No!" I reply a little too quickly.

"Okay," he puts his hands up before turning the key in the ignition. "Do mind if I ask you why though?"

"People are after us, Lloyd. Don't you think they will not hesitate to attack us there?"

He doesn't respond and just starts driving again. We remain silent for a while, until the Monastery is in view and he asks me, "So…not meaning to bother you but I've always wanted to ask, how did your father freeze everyone when we were on that stretch of land after the bombing*?"

"He…I don't know as a matter of fact," I respond, feeling my throat constrict. My eyes start to become heavy from sorrow and a tear escapes, rolling down my right cheek. He's gone and now all I want to do is go into my room, the Bounty room, and cry all day and all night.

Lloyd must have noticed because he puts a hand on my good shoulder. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

I draw in a deep, shaky breath before saying, "It's okay."

"Can you get on my back?" Lloyd questions me.

"Are you sure?" I ask, "You'll get blood all over your clothes."

"Is that something you should be worrying about right now? Can you get on my back?"

"I'll try," I tell him while taking my seatbelt off and open my car door as the green ninja comes to my side. He turns his back to me, getting lower and I put both arms over him, swinging my legs over the side of the hover car. He grabs my legs and pushing me up onto a piggyback on him and walks to the door. He's stronger than before.

He knocks several times before the door opens, showing Pixal in her regular, yet gorgeous outfit. "What happened to him?" she gasps, backing away to let us in.

"He's been shot," Lloyd answers, bringing me into the living room to meet more astonished, as well as concerned faces.

"What happened?" Jay asks.

"Is Zane okay?" Kai says.

"He's been shot so clear the coffee table please," Lloyd responds in an irritated tone.

"Okay." Melissa and the fire ninja do as he says and the green ninja sets me down in a sitting position.

"What's going on? Gross!" a little girl in braids screams as she rushes into the room. I saw her at the gas station. "Cool!" she squeals and comes up behind me, "I want to watch."

"How come you're here? Where's your family?" I ask her.

"I lost them and they," she points to my family, "Are helping me find them."

I nod in understanding as Jay panics, saying, "What are we going to do?"

"Get the first aid kit and some scissors," Melissa instructs him and Kai.

They leave quickly and return in less than one minute. Kai hands Garmadon the scissors and Jay hands him the kit. I suppose they understand why we aren't going to the hospital and Garmadon says to me, "We don't have painkillers, so this is going to be extremely painful." I nod and he tells me, "I'm going to take off your shirt." He sets the first aid kit down and begins cutting the bottom of my what-used-to-be-white shirt, all the way up and removes it. "I am going to get the bullet out. Pixal, can you sterilize a pair of tweezers in alcohol?"

"I'm already doing it," she calls from the kitchen and returns with it.

"Hold him gently," Misako tells my brother's and they do.

Their grips seem tense, as if they are not certain how this will turn out, and the previous dark lord readies the tweezers. Melissa covers the child's eyes as I feel a sharp pain that increases every moment when the cold metal digs in my flesh, searching for the bullet.

Pixal takes my hand and I squeeze it tightly and flinch. I can feel my blood is running down my bare back and someone is wiping it with a cloth. "You'll be okay Zane. Just hold on," Pixal says softly.

I give her a weak smile before stifling a cry as tearing pain assaults me again, this time far worse, enough that a tear slips from my eye. I tighten my grip on Pixal's hand, feeling so much intense pain that my vision does a quick blur before returning to normal. The tweezers pinch my flesh and I scream, lurching forward before strong hands pull me back.

Chapter 13

The Lodged Bullet

Everyone remains quiet throughout this necessary torture, though Jay always seems on the verge of screaming and running away. He's crying as well, for a different reason I presume.

It hurts enough that I can barely stop myself from taking off and knocking myself unconscious, but I merely hold Pixal's hand as if I let go, someone will die. The tweezers pinch my flesh again and I gasp, still barely able to breathe. The blood that's draining from my body is making me weaker and weaker every passing moment.

"I almost have it Zane. Hang in there," Sensei Garmadon reassures me.

"Okay. Hurry please," I respond and bite down on my lip, hard enough it starts to bleed. Jay's face is as pale as a sheet of paper and his grip on my left arm tightens somewhat.

"Jay…calm down. It's going to be okay," I tell him before wincing from the tweezers again.

"I should be the one comforting you," Jay smiles sadly and his face returns to his previous expression.

"Do you need some sort of distraction?" Pixal asks. I nod, biting down on lip even harder. "Do you want me to read something to you?"

"Could…Melissa read?" I request, holding in a scream, "I…want Pixal to…stay…with me."

"Okay," Melissa responds and leaves the room, returning moments later with a poetry book. She begins reading in a soft, somewhat shaky voice.

_Oh, twas that solemn moment,_

_That wrenched a piece of my heart._

_O twas that cry of anguish,_

_That brought forth his evil art._

_A mortal he was and many men befell_

_His snare, and now no can tell,_

_Of his cunning malice, nor hate,_

_Yet had I known it would not be late,_

_To save my dear lover's life from imminent peril._

"W-wait a…minute," I interrupt her, "What about…Lloyd?"

"Oh! I'm so sorry. Let's take care of your injuries too, son," Misako apologizes and motions a hand to Melissa. "Help me please."

"Mom, I'm okay," Lloyd tells her.

"No you aren't. Look at how swollen your face is and all of that blood from your arm," Misako responds.

"I said I'm okay," Lloyd insists.

"Come with me now."

"No!" he shouts, knocking into his father and I feel a sharper pain all of a sudden where the bullet wound is. I cry out in pain and lurch forward again, pulled back by the others. "Fine, I'll do it myself," the green ninja shuffles out of the now silent room and Sensei Garmadon resumes digging the bullet out.

_What is wrong with Lloyd? He hasn't been himself at all since we got in the car. The escape was just…too easy._

"Zane?" Marcy and Nya enter the Monastery.

"You okay?" I hear Nya asking me.

_Of course I'm okay. Losing lots of blood, being shot, and having someone dig a bullet out my flesh makes me perfectly fine. _"Do I look okay to you?" I respond, gritting my teeth from the pain.

"No, but what happened to you?" she asks, "Did you get Lloyd? Is he okay?"

"Yes…I-I got him, though he's…been t-t-terribly…beaten."

"What about you?"

"He's been shot," Marcy says, probably having observed the wound, "Am I correct?"

"Yes," Pixal responds.

"Where…have y-you b-b-both…been?" I gasp as the tweezers pinch my flesh again.

"I got it!" Sensei Garmadon exclaims and something metallic drops on the floor.

I sigh in relief, hanging my head down, gasping for air. "Now for the stitches and to disinfect the wound. I'll do it," Pixal announces.

_Oh no._

**No P.O.V.**

"I want…to…ask you s-s-something," Lloyd coughs up blood in his hands, which are now tied in front of his body.

"You're asking me after what you pulled off with the cell phone?" Carmel says.

"I have…a r-r-right t-to…know why Clive t-tried to kill…me."

Carmel smiles, thinking to herself, _this is going to be fun. _"Alright then. Why don't I tell you?" She ambles over to her captive and gets on one knee, staring at him with most eyes. "Clive was my sister, Victoria's husband."

"What? S-she said…he was…his n-nephew," Lloyd asks.

"She lied. Clive noticed you were talking to her and believed you fancied his wife, I believe. He was an insecure man so he must have tried to murder you because of that."

"I…but I…didn't l-l-like…h-her."

Chapter 14

Stitches and Strange Torture

**Zane P.O.V.**

"Thing will sting so hold this if you feel pain," Pixal hands me a small, green pillow. I twist my neck around, not all the way so I don't creep anyone out, and see her dabbing cotton ball on some disinfectant. I turn back and squeeze the pillow as she dabs the stuff on my wound.

I gasp, holding in a cry from the sharp sting. _She was not kidding. _"How long will it take for the stitches?" I ask.

"Not too long," she responds.

"Did you learn to sew people up or were you programmed to?" I ask curiously.

"Neither, but I do know how to do a no-show stitch. I scanned everyone else's skills and no one can."

"Oh," I say and bite my lip again from the lingering sting while Pixal ties three knots before threading the needle. _I don't know if this is a good idea._

"You up to this?" Cole asks.

"Yes," I tell him.

"Are you sure?" Kai confirms.

"I'm sure," I reassure him, though I'm not exactly confident about any of this. _I hope getting stitches isn't as bad as getting the bullet out. Fat chance._

Suddenly I start feeling dizzy as the room spins round and round. Something pricks my skin, sending a sharp pain in my body and I lean back, knocking into something cold. Everything starts to blur and refocus, blur and refocus, over and over again. "Zane, you okay?" Jay's anxious voice starts to dull.

"He's losing too much blood," Nya says, "Hurry up and stitch him."

"I'm on it," Pixal tells her and I feel more sharp pricks and my skin pulls tightly. I stifle a cry and squeeze the pillow tighter and tighter until it freezes. The cold feels good on my hands and my breathing slows a bit, calming me down.

"Is he going to be okay?" Melissa asks.

"He should be as long as he doesn't lose a lot more blood," Marcy responds.

"Are you saying he could die?" Jay exclaims.

"Jay!" Kai reprimands him, abruptly yanking my arm back and I flinch, crying out from the more unexpected pain that takes over.

"Sorry Zane!" Kai apologizes and touches my forehead before turning to Pixal. "He's burning up."

At that moment, Lloyd walks in front of me and he gives me a cold stare. His voice speaks to me, though his lips aren't moving and we communicate somehow.

_"Go to sleep," Lloyd tells me in a creepily soft voice._

_"No!" I scream in my mind, unable to say anything out of it._

_"Go to sleep, Hawthorn" he repeats._

_"No! What have you done with Lloyd?"_

_"You will find out soon, so go to sleep."_

_"No!"_

_"Go to sleep."_

_"No!"_

_"GO. TO. SLEEP."_

_"You…will…never…get…away…with…this," I mumble before everything turns black._

"Zane? You okay?" Jay's voice booms in my ear.

"Leave him alone. He needs sleep after having gone through all of that pain," Nya says, sounding a bit harsh, but she's being considerate.

I don't want to get up. I just want to sleep in peace for a long, long time and have some rest, without thinking of all of the disturbing incidents that have happened recently. I start to drift off when I hear a scream and cries that bring me back and open my eyes to meet blinding light.

I adjust and see Nya leaving the room, bouncing a crying Emma in her arms. I roll my eyes before wincing in pain. I'm lying on my _back_, on my wounded shoulder, of course. Okay, perhaps I am getting too grumpy and I need to lighten up, but how can I?

"Did I wake you up?" Jay asks.

"It was Emma."

"Sorry about that. How are you feeling?" Kai asks me.

"Better. How long have I been out?" I inquire.

"For a day at least."

"What time is it?"

"11:30 A.M."

"I guess the morphine didn't help with your pain," Lloyd comments.

I stare at him for a moment before I say, "No. The effects must have worn off before I was shot."

"Do you need anything Zane?" Pixal kneels by the bedside and takes my hands in hers.

I smile at her and respond, "Just you."

"Zane's blushing!" Kai points at me and I pull on a straight face.

"Kai, who's blushing?" I ask rhetorically before bursting out laughing, though I don't know why. I wince again and request, "Will you help me sit up?"

"Of course," Pixal responds and helps me up into a sitting position.

"Were you following me?" I come straight to the point.

"Oh no. No, we didn't." Cole responds a little too quickly.

"Yeah, we were just sitting here worried sick about you!" Jay adds in.

"So…what happened to you both?" Melissa asks.

_"Don't tell them anything," Lloyd says to me in my mind, but his voice sounds…different. I don't know what he sounds like, but he's not my brother._

_"Why should I listen to you?" I demand._

_"If you want Lloyd to live…then do as I say. I can have my woman snap his bones right now."_

_"How can I believe you?"_

_"Well, because I can do it to you."_

_My shoulder had a dull throb, but is now starting to feel as if it's on fire and the pain increases significantly. "Lloyd's" green eyes turn bight red and blind me before I hear another voice, remote, yet drawing near._

"Hello? Anyone home?" Jay asks, snapping me out of my thoughts and now I can finally move.

"Ah!" I gasp, clutching at my wound.

"No, not again," Jay mutters, but raises his voice enough that he supposes I can now hear, "You okay?"

"I think-ah," I feel my pain increase and I wince, biting my already hurting lip again.

_"Are we clear?" Lloyd asks me in my head._

_"No!" I shout._

_"Then don't blame me."_

My breath is sucked away and I put both hands to my throat, gasping for air as his voice comes back into my head again.

_"Are we clear?" Lloyd repeats._

_"No!"_

My throat tightens enough I can't do anything except gasp for air.

"Zane, what wrong?" Kai asks.

"Get someone!" Jay exclaims.

"Give him air!" Cole shouts.

"Can you do it?" Melissa asks Pixal.

Pixal puts her lips to mine and blows breath in, but I think my windpipe is shut. I'm not receiving any air at all.

"He's not breathing!" Kai shouts, rushing out of the room.

_"Are we clear?" Lloyd says a third time._

_"No!" I repeat._

My vision blurs as I try to get air, but only find pressure in my chest, feeling my bones bending or something like that. I hear a crack.

Chapter 15

Control

"911! Somebody call 911!" Jay panics, running back and forth frantically. All I want is to be able breathe and for him to zip it.

_"Do you seriously want to die? Just tell me we're clear!" Lloyd shouts, filled with rage, his red eyes now the only thing I can see._

_"No…" I respond weakly._

_"You're crazy!"_

The pressure leaves me and my windpipe opens. I can breathe and the red eyes disappear. I gasp in all the air I can and Pixal takes her lips away from mine, backing away. "Zane, you're alive!" Jay exclaims, running up to me with his arms spread out, coming in for a hug.

_This is going to be bad. Watch out! _

Before I can react, Pixal puts a hand in front of him and says, "Leave him be. I think he needs some air for now."

"Dispatcher are you there? We need an ambulance right away!" Kai hurries in the room on the phone while everyone else comes in behind him.

Breathing has never felt this good, as well as this bad, in my entire life, though of course I didn't always need it. I think this man posing as Lloyd broke something, one of my bones in my chest, making breathing a drag. Why did I ever want to be a human in the first place? "How…did you…have oxygen and carbon dioxide in you?" I ask Pixal, gasping for air.

"Mr. Borg built me as an assistant with life-saving functions as well as others," she responds, running a hand through my messy, blond hair. "We are taking you to the hospital."

"But-" I start to protest, yet she cuts me off.

"I know you and Lloyd are in imminent peril, but you need to be monitored, in case something like this happens again."

"I'll be fine."

"No, you won't be."

"Give me a chance. If this happens a second time, then take me to the hospital, please," I implore her.

"Well, what do you think?" Pixal turns to the others, who are trying to call 911.

"The phone isn't working!" Jay exclaims, dialing the number again.

"This is so frustrating!" Kai rants, throwing the red phone on the floor.

"Pixal is trying to tell us something guys!" Cole shouts, loudly enough everyone stops what he's doing.

"Thank you, Cole," Pixal says before continuing, "Zane said he wants to stay here, unless this happens a second time."

"No way!" Sensei Wu protests.

"He won't be safe," Sensei Garmadon adds.

"I will be fine," I reassure them.

"No, you won't," Nya insists.

"You can take turns watching him," Melissa suggests.

"Yes, please. Couldn't I stay? We won't be safe in a hospital either," I request.

"There is no way we are letting you stay here!" Jay proclaims.

**12:30 A.M.**

"Did you see the figurines at the restaurant where Clive was murdered?" I ask, shifting uncomfortably in my bed. No matter which way I lay, I still feel horrible pain that's always at the edge of my mind. I don't know how, but we, meaning Pixal and I, were somehow able to convince the others to let us stay here.

"No," Pixal replies, putting an elbow on the bed and resting her lovely chin in her hand.

"I…I saw something…strange that evening." _Should I tell her about the vivid scene or will that frighten her? Pixal is a very strong woman, but it was clearly disturbing. _The image of her crying in the Borg tower makes me think otherwise, though it may be significant.

"What?" she asks curiously.

"I…uh…saw figurines, one of which looked like me, with blood on him, and a knife was protruding from his chest." Pixal furrows her dark brows, seeming not to completely believe me. "You don't believe me, do you?"

"I do, but I know that wasn't what you were going to originally tell me, was it?"

"No, I was going to say that I saw a vision of you-"

"Hey, it's my turn to watch," Lloyd interrupts us and turns to Pixal, "Go ahead and get some rest."

She looks at me hesitantly and I nod. "Goodnight Zane," she says.

"Goodnight, Pixal," I respond.

She goes to sleep on the floor where everyone else is and Lloyd sits in a chair next to the bed, staring coldly at me. _Nice. Now what does he want? _"I presume you have something to say to me," I speak softly so I don't wake the others up.

_"No. Who said that?" Lloyd responds in my mind._

"Why aren't you speaking aloud?" I ask, finding this extremely suspicious.

_"I don't want to bother wasting my breath, so I might as well do this with someone like you."_

"Who are you?"

_"Your worst nightmare. My name was in a horror movie with a masked guy and a machete."_

I don't watch a lot of horror, so this might take a while. "Jack the Ripper?" I ask.

_"No."_

"Chuckie the doll?" I ask, just to mess with him.

_"Do I look like a doll with red hair to you?" Lloyd says, his eyes now red, clearly irritated._

"I'm not sure…maybe."

_"Do you think this is funny? Okay, I'm tired of playing games, Nindroid, so I might as well tell you, Hawthorn! Do you recognize me now?"_

"Jason?" I gasp, my heart skipping a beat and I scream. "Get away from me!"

The dim lights in the room start flickering as my worst nightmare laughs, his voice becoming quite deep, filling the room with a sort of chilling horror. The door shuts with a click and the windows close and lock. Jason stands up, seeming to tower above me, and he says, "I have returned, for you."

"No!" I scream.

Chapter 16

Locked in the Dark

"Get away from me, you monster!" I clutch my painful chest in fear, "Guys! Help me!"

"Don't bother calling them. I put something in their drinks," Jason says in a soft voice, leaning over the bed until his face is inches away from mine, his disguise disappearing, and his black hair touches my face.

"Help!" I scream again, but my voice is cut off. My lips move rapidly but I don't produce any sound, and I start to panic. _What do I do? What do I do?_

_"You really are afraid of me aren't you?" Jason smirks, speaking in my mind again._

"No, I'm not!" I retort.

_"You are. I can feel it. You are afraid of me, so…you haven't really changed from that cowardly child."_

"I am different!" I shout, clutching his arms and whipping into my ice tornado, but he catches me by my throat. _Oh, duh. I can't use Spinjitzu without Pixal!_

_"You never learn, do you Hawthorn?" Jason mocks._

"Let go of me, or you will regret it," I say through gritted teeth as he pulls me off the bed.

_"Sure, sure I will."_

"LET. GO. OF. ME," I demand, suddenly feeling stronger than I have been for a long time, and I grab his hands, squeezing tightly, pulling them off me with rage. The pain has vanished, probably because I am on an adrenaline rush, and I punch his startled face.

He wipes a bit of blood from the corner of his mouth and asks out loud, "Is that the best you can do?"

"Nope. I haven't tried hard yet," I respond, swing my fist at his face again, but he ducks, sweeping at my leg.

I jump, and land steadily on the floor; then throw a kick at him. He catches my leg and pulls me forward, slamming an elbow into my jaw as I head-butt him without either of us feeling pain in the slightest. Like I said, major adrenaline rush. I pull my leg down hitting Jason's kneecap. If I can be quicker than he and get more hits in, things should be okay, but I calculate the probabilities. _There's a 50 to 50% chance of my survival; that's not reassuring at all, though at least I still have a chance._

"You're better than I thought, kid," Jason says, "But you can't beat this."

I throw another punch at his face, but he grabs me arm and yanks me to the floor, pinning down. He's far stronger than I, yet I have probably dealt with more adversaries. He gets on my back, tearing my shirt partially open and rip off my bandage.

I struggle under the man's heavy body and kick him between his legs as I feel a horrible pain for the first time since the fight. My shoulder wound. My assailant rolls of me, gasping and I try to get up, but only make it to my knees. I can feel something wet on my back and touch it. When I draw my hand back I can make out what looks like blood.

It's too dark in here. I need a light so I find the wall with my hand, fumbling for a switch for something. Nothing. "Zane, duck!" I hear a familiar voice shout.

I drop on al fours and hear a dull thud; then a warm hand touches my arm. "Zane, it's me, Lloyd. Are you hurt?"

_Lloyd, how could he be here? _I slowly start to get up and he helps me stand, leaning me against his shoulder. "I'm…okay, but I am injured."

"That's an oxymoron if I ever heard one," Lloyd comments before asking, "What happened to you?"

"I was shot," I respond.

"What? When?"

"When I went to rescue you."

"Is that why I heard a gunshot outside?"

I nod. "What happened to Jason?" I ask.

"The guy who had been attacking you?"

"Yes."

"I hit him with a rock. He's out cold."

"Could you turn on the lights? The others have been drugged."

"Okay. Hang on." The green ninja reaches for the light switch and I hear a flip. "Nothing. It's not working!"

"Let's try the door," I suggest and Lloyd wraps my arm around his shoulder; then we stumble blindly to the doorway, tripping over a snoring Kai who doesn't stir at all.

Lloyd tries opening the door, but it's locked, so he says to me. "Lean against the wall and I'll break the knob."

I do as I was told now being only a few feet away as the green ninja kicks it. I hear a clatter and a creak as Lloyd opens the door, peering out, and tells me, "All clear as far as I can see."

He wraps my arm around his shoulder again and we both make our way out the door, feeling in front of us. My shin hits something hard and I mutter, "Dang it."

"You okay?" Lloyd whispers and we both hit something cold, "What the heck?"

"What is it?" I ask.

"I don't know, but it's probably my mom's favorite antique chair."

Creak! Both Lloyd and I instantly whirl around, and hear someone's sneakers squeaking on the floor. "Who's there?" my brother and I demand in unison.

Chapter 17

An Unusual Conversation

"It's me," Pixal responds, only a few feet away from us.

"Pixal!" I rush up to her, ignoring my pain-ridden body, and throw my arms around her, squeezing her tightly. "Thank goodness! I thought someone was there to kill everyone!"

She hugs me back and says, "I don't know why, but I felt a bit drowsy before I went to bed."

"Wait. You said they were drugged, though. How come she's awake?" Lloyd asks.

"It probably did not affect her like the others," I tell him.

"What's going on?" Pixal says.

"The lights went out and you were drugged by the impostor of Lloyd."

"Impostor? Are you saying that someone's been posing as him? Since when?"

"Since I came back from "rescuing the green ninja"," I make quotation marks with my fingers.

"How did you escape?" Pixal turns to Lloyd as we let go of each other.

"Let's get the lights on and help the others before we go into explaining," he responds.

"Hello? Is this thing on?" a woman's voice echoes throughout the vast Monastery, drowning out all other noises, yet it sounds as if she's speaking into a microphone. "Hello?"

"Uh, who are you?" Lloyd asks, sounding unsure of this.

"Hey, Wentworth! Get over here and see if this is working cause I can't hear anything!" the voice shouts. I hear someone shuffling and muffled speech before she resumes speaking. "Good morning Zane Julien, Lloyd Garmadon, and Pixal Craft."

"Good morning?" Pixal says like a question.

"How are you doing?" she inquires.

"May I ask what you are doing?" I question her.

"Alright. This morning you three and the others will experience something new in the ninja career. What time is it right now?"

"The electricity is off," Lloyd states.

"Do you have an analog clock?"

"No."

"Then I will do it for you. It's…12:36."

A ticking sound comes over the microphone and we hear paper shuffling before the woman clears her throat. _Is this a joke or is this someone who doesn't know what she's doing?_

"When the clock strikes 5:00 A.M. the lights will come back on and you will have survived. Now, there are several rules you must follow. Number one: if you kill any of _them _you will have five seconds taken away for you to leave. Number two: if any of you sheds blood from your own that touches the floor, or anyone else's body, five seconds will be added to extend the game. Number three: protect your family, ninja. Any questions?"

"Yeah," Lloyd says, "Why the heck would we do this?"

"Do you have a choice? You're locked in right now."

"If I broke the doorknob, why can't I get break the other ones?" Lloyd retorts.

"Try."

"Okay. I will." The green ninja leaves Pixal and I to hold each other's hand, waiting for him to return. We hear a muffled noise and a sharp, but quiet 'dang it'.

"You okay?" I ask.

"Yeah, I just knocked into something," Lloyd calls back, "I found the door." I hear him kick something and a cry of pain.

"Lloyd?"

"I'm okay, but this door…it's not opening and I hit something sharp."

"Five seconds," the woman over the microphone announces.

"Did you hurt yourself?" Pixal asks.

"I'm fine. I just cut my foot a bit on the top," the green ninja responds.

"Ten seconds."

"Wrap your foot in something," I tell him and come over slowly, so as to avoid hitting something, holding Pixal's hand.

"Fifteen seconds. Twenty seconds. Twenty-five seconds."

"Where's the blood coming from?" Pixal says, "Is that from you Lloyd?"

"No, not the last three at least," he responds as we near him, tearing a piece of his green sleeve, and wrapping his foot in it.

"Pixal, can you check my shoulder?" I request.

My eyes are blinded for a moment by a bright, neon green light, emanating from the lovely droid's eyes. She goes behind me and touches my shoulder gently. I flinch. I think Jason must have reopened it, and it's now hurting terribly. "You're bleeding," she tells me, "I need to redo your stitches, but for now we better stop the blood from pouring out. Sit down."

I do as she says and she takes off my shirt, before removing the first bandage. It wasn't on my wound anymore so it didn't hurt. She tears a strip of purple cloth from her long dress and begins wrapping it around my shoulder. "Wait," I gasp in pain, holding a shaky hand up.

"Yes, is there something wrong?" Pixal asks.

"Just…give me a minute."

"I have to stop you bleeding out. I'm sorry Zane," she replies and keeps wrapping the wound.

"Watch out!" Lloyd shouts and Pixal and I turn to see a blade over my head, coming down.

Chapter 18

Nindroids!

I grab Pixal and roll to the left by instinct as the sword strikes the floor. We both leap up and hook each other's arms, and I heave her up, nearly falling over from sudden pain, and she kicks at the enemy as we spin in a circle.

White ice engulfs us, but the attacker vanishes before any of us can hit it, and before I can identify it. We stop and I put her down, and I feel my face being punched. I back up, wiping the corner of my mouth, glancing back and forth yet see nothing except Lloyd rushing up to us.

"You guys okay?" he asks.

"Something's in here!" I exclaim and something cold and metallic hits my face again. I feel like something like a pair of hands grabbing my head and I am slammed face first into the round corner of the countertop. My eyes automatically shut tightly as my forehead smacks into it, and I reopen my eyes as I'm pulled back. I'm thrown into Lloyd's arms while Pixal is hit in her stomach.

"Get away from Pixal!" I shout before a Nindroid appears, pulling out two katana from their holster.

"Cryptor!" I exclaim as he shoots a laser out of his eye.

Lloyd and I drop to the floor and I glance at the counter, spotting a frying pan. I get up darting to it and grabbing it; then dive for the droid's head. I feel nothing but rage. _No one_ hurts Pixal. He swings both blades at me from left and right, coming inwards and I duck. I leap up and kick his metal, masked face and hit his throat with the pan. It may sound silly to use such an object, but anything can be used for combat.

I quickly slam my weapon into his hand and grab one of the katana, throwing the pan on the floor. Cryptor's sword clashes against mind and he smirks, "You're getting better, ninja."

"I don't attack anyone unless they try to harm my loved ones. If you hurt them, I will rip you into pieces, even with my bare hands," I respond, pushing him away and swinging the blade at his face. He dodges it and sweeps the weapon at my feet. I leap up and slash him arm; then jump on him, grabbing his throat with my legs wrapped around his waist.

"Nindroids!" Lloyd exclaims and picks up the pan as General Cryptor topples under my weight.

Pixal picks up the droid's sword he had dropped and he attacks another robot. I pick up the blade I had let go of and stab his shoulder, pinning him to the floor. I glance to my left to see a laser coming towards my head and duck then leap at the droid, pulling the sword out of General Cryptor's shoulder.

I slice the robot's throat and yank out its wires and gears. Two Nindroid's rush at me and I blast ice at them freezing both in their tracks. I turn back and freeze a laser midair that came from the General's eye. He shoots again and I freeze it before he jumps up, wrapping his legs around my throat. _There's only one thing I can do now. _I stumble under his weight, but slam his body into the countertop, yet he won't budge.I slam him into it again and then throw myself forward, making me hit him, while he ends up on the floor underneath me. I pick up the katana again and slash the droid's chest, then fumble for his power switch. I turn him off and get off him, feeling a pleasant adrenaline rush as I stab the back of the Nindroid that's attacking Pixal.

We hook arms again and go over the same process, alternating between which one of us does the kicking, and when we stop, all are down as Lloyd stops his as well. The woman speaks. "Ten down. That saves you fifty seconds, ninja."

I grab Pixal's hand and whisper, "Come on Lloyd." He follows us back into our room where the others are sleeping soundly, oblivious to the attacks.

"Put them in the closet," Lloyd instructs us. We drag all them in and hide in the large closet ourselves, shutting the door. I hold Pixal's hand, hers trembling, and I lean against the wall in the back, yet feel something cold on my shoulder.

I touch it, feeling a thin, sort of stubby object, attached to something larger. I run my hand along the cold thing where it thins out slightly, until I touch something sticky, and wet.

Once I realize what _it_ is I shrug it off frantically and cover my mouth to prevent a scream. It's colder than anything, without a trace of humanity. It's…dead.

Chapter 19

A Cold Body

"What's the matter?" Pixal whispers.

"It's dead!" I whisper back frantically, backing away from the cold body behind me.

"What's dead?" Lloyd asks.

"I don't know," I respond, "but it's a body. I can sense it."

"Human?"

"I don't know, but most likely not."

"Animal?"

"Let's take a look," Pixal suggests, shinning her neon beams from her eyes, pinpointing onto a piece of meaty flesh on the wooden floor. I pick it up between my index and thumb and observe it. It's squishy and has hair on it.

I drop it before parting several coats in the middle of the closet to see Victoria's body, limp and sitting against the wall with a hand pointing on the floor. There's no blood on any wounds, yet her mouth is open as if she had screamed and pointed at her killer at the last moments of her life. I touch her cold face. It's red with dried blood on her nose and her face is red as well. "She died of asphyxiation," I announce, standing up, only to bump my head on the roof.

Creak! We turn instantly and Lloyd whispers frantically, "Turn of the lights!" Pixal's eyes shut and when she reopens them the color becomes a normal green.

Footsteps. Metal slides on the floor that brings a chill in my very bones, and another, slow, ominous creak. More footsteps.

We hear more creaking on the floorboards as a young girl's voice begins to sing. "Jason, oh, Jason, wake up. Wake up from your deep slumber and see your icy ninja die, and your dying wish be fulfilled before you join Jane…and Grandmother.

"Wake up and wrap your hands on Zane's throat. Squeeze him until he dies before your very eyes. Wake up."

A crash of some fragile object brings the sense that Jason is…awake and…alive.

"Lloyd," I whisper, "Did you kill Jason?"

"I'm not sure, but he may have survived."

The three of us huddle together, now crouching on the floor, hugging each other tightly. There's some kind of shuffling noise like the window is being opened, and wind blows in, most likely making the curtains flap. Everything is cold, lifeless, except Pixal, Lloyd, and I. Even the others seem dead, without breath, yet I know they are still here. They're alive, but not for long. "Zane," I freeze, utterly petrified as Jason calls my name. "Zane, where are you? Why are you hiding?" Drip. Drip. Drip.

I peek through the doors to see blood dripping on the floor, from Jason's head. _How did he survive the hit?_

"Come out. Come and fight me," he whispers in a hiss, "I want you to join Jane, Grandmother, and I. Come out or else I'll find all the ones you love…and kill them, one by one."

I feel this sudden urge to come out there and proclaim that I will join him, in the lake of fire, but…what about my family? They wouldn't be able to cope with it. There's only one thing I can do and that is to get rid of Jason, no matter how I do it. I have made up my mind. I will kill him.

"Stay her and don't come out no matter what happens," I say to the two.

"What are you doing?" Pixal grabs my arm with wide eyes, trembling out of utter fear.

"This won't ever stop unless Jason is gone," I tell her, "I love you both. Don't ever forget that." I pull them into a tight embrace, letting the tears I held for so long to flow freely. We stay like for a few moments before I pull away from them, wiping my face and cupping Pixal's cheeks in my hands before pressing my lips to hers, my farewell. It may not be the end, but I know one of us will die. I let go of her and get up, sliding the door open.

_It's just you and me Jason._

A Nindroid's Tears: Forgotten 4

Chapter 1

A Long Awaited Death

I can hear my heart pounding in my ears and my cheeks flush in anticipation. This is it. This is the moment when he pays for what he did to my family and me. This is the dark morning that determines whether I live or die; whether my family will be safe or not; whether he will get what he deserves now or later after he dies.

I hold my breath as Jason curses fiercely, stomping on something that produces a cracking sound. "Now I can't even strangle him with the floating device or talk in his mind," he rants.

_So is that how you did it? Of course he'll cheat. I almost thought he could use the force like Lloyd. Jason, I wasn't going to sneak upon you, but if you insist on keeping from using the rules, I have no other alternatives. Die, now._

I slip behind him, my hands trembling as I realize this could be my only chance for everyone's survival. Under other circumstances, I would never come and attack someone like this, but after what he did I don't care at all.

"Where did that coward go?" Jason pulls at his jet-black hair, now all bloody, in frustration.

I pick up the stone from the floor-sticky from his blood-as quietly as possible and make my way to him, raising my weapon over his head. I swing my hand down, expecting to hear the crack of his skull, but instead he whirls around and grabs my arm before the blow can land.

"Ah, so there you are, you little sneaky ninja!" Jason laughs, his red eyes staring into my blue ones with bitter hatred.

I return it, equally, if not more bitter. _What are you waiting for? Do it now! _I try to move, but he has a vice grip on me, though his hand just doesn't feel human.

I so a sweep and knock him to one knee, yet his hand remains on my arm. Sharp razors now protrude from his arm and I reach for the stone from my other hand; then slam it into the razors. They slice right through the rock.

The good thing is that Jason lets go of me and I back away, sliding my hand underneath one of the beds, though it's too dark to tell which one. I feel something cold and sharp nick my hand and draw it out. It's a Chinese chain whip, probably from under Kai's bed.

I wrap it around my left hand a few times, making sure I have a tight grip, before I look up to see razors flying at my head. I duck as the first one comes, and block the next to with the chain; then swing the whip at Jason. He leaps to my right, charging me with daggers coming from his left arm.

_Is guess he must be at least part robot as well_, I muse.

I grab the whip with my right hand in front and swing it toward him as he thrusts his armored arm and weapons at me all at once. The chain blocks them.

I throw a kick that lands on his kneecap as he slams an elbow in my jaw and we both back away.

I come within his striking range and throw a punch, aimed directly for his head, but he dodges; then throws his own strike sideways. I block it with the whip, the dagger narrowly missing my jugular, though I can see it grazing my shoulder. I can't feel it.

I leap up, wrapping my legs around his waist, causing us both to topple over, and I knock into the closet door, where Pixal and Lloyd are waiting for me, wondering if I'm okay. The others have been drugged, so if I really do die, they won't even know until they wake up.

I roll around facing him and wrapping the chain whip around his throat, squeezing as tightly as I can. He grabs something that he uses to strike my head. I squeeze ever tighter till he is scarlet and drops the object. It produces a dull thud. Now is the time for him to pay. "Die, die, die, you monster! You murderer!" I scream as my vision starts to blur.

_What am I thinking? I can't do this. I'm becoming the monster. I'm becoming the murderer._

**Time Lapse**

_"Zane, please don't kill my brother," a brunette in a Jamanukai village uniform pleads._

_"Jane, but I thought you were dead," I gape stare her with moist eyes._

I open my eyes to blinding light. "Guys, Zane's awake!" I hear Lloyd's voice close by my ear and my vision clears.

Chapter 2

A Hospital Stay

"W-where am-" I pause as I see white walls and floors and hear the all-too-familiar beeps of the heart rate monitor. An IV needle is in my arm and I am dressed in a pastel-shaded, hospital gown, yet everything looks…split in half. Hospital…is that where I am? "What happened?" I venture to ask my family that has crowded anxiously around me, all silent.

More silence. "Well?"

"Your cerebellum was damaged," Jay tells me.

I quirk a brow, but find it too painful in the back of my head as I move to sit up and ask, "What does that mean?"

"The cerebellum controls your motor skills, cognitive functions, and posture, as well as other things," Marcy informs me.

"How could you not know about that? You're an adult," Cole says.

"Uh, are you forgetting not too long ago he was a robot?" Kai looks at him and then back at me. "You feeling alright?"

"Could be better. How long have I been out?"

"Two days," Melissa responds, putting a hand on her large stomach. She's almost nine months pregnant, so I hope her being drugged didn't affect the twins.

"How are the little ones?" I inquire.

"Wonderful, thank you," she smiles, "They should be out pretty soon."

"What happened to Jason?" I ask, suddenly feeling anxious. I'm not dead, so that is good, but is he?

"Um…" Jay shifts his weight around uncomfortably as he and everyone sits in his seat by my bed. "Well…he…"

"Yeah?" I say, growing rather impatient at his slow unraveling of the answer.

"He's…dead, Zane. You killed him," Lloyd responds instead.

My gut wrenches. I imagined that he would die and I would be happy, be…free, but I don't feel that way. I feel sick. _You killed someone. _A voice speaks to me in my head, perhaps my conscience arguing with me. I name my guilty conscience, G, and my own will, W.

_W: He deserved it._

_G: But you killed him._

_W: He wasn't ever a human! He hurt my family!_

_G: But you did kill him._

_W: It was self-defense._

_G: You snuck up on him._

_W: It was my family and me who would die, or him._

_G: But you did kill him. You've always wanted to and you strangled him._

_W: Go away! Leave me alone!_

_G: No. You killed a human. You're a murderer._

_W: No I'm not!_

_G: Yes you are._

_W: No I'm not!_

_G: Yes you are._

"No, no, no, no, no!" I scream aloud as G keeps telling me I murdered him.

"Zane, calm down," Pixal's comforting hand touches my shoulder.

"But I didn't murder him," I insist, and lean against her, letting the tears flow as I hear the dreadful word echo in my head.

_Murderer._

"No, no, no, no," I moan clutching the sides of the bed in both physical and emotional pain.

Pixal gingerly wraps both arms around me and pats my back, saying in a soothing voice, "It's okay. You're okay; we're okay. He deserved it. It's all over." I embrace her, gritting my teeth from the pain from my gunshot wound.

I could sense the others leaving and I fell asleep in her arms. When I woke up, I had asked her to take me to the men's showering room, which also has a bathroom. She wheeled me in and left to get a male nurse to wait for me in case I needed help.

I wait here now, alone, not supposed to stand up, but I don't care. I grab both sides of the wheelchair, pushing myself up slowly. Once I'm up, I feel a bit wobbly and unsteady, though not as bad as I thought. I carefully slide a bare foot forward; then my next one, shuffling at first, and I now lift a foot off the ground, holding my breath.

I set it down as cautiously as possible, yet as my foot meets the cold tile, my ankle twists, and I lose my balance. I instantly lurch forward, grasping something cold as well, just stopping my fall. I get up and open the glass door as the door behind me creaks open.

I glance behind me as a six foot three inch male nurse enters, carrying two white towels with the hospital emblem on them. One is large and one is small.

"Do you need help?" he asks, as he hangs the towels over the side of the shower door.

"No, I'm fine, thank you," I respond.

"Are you sure? You don't look too good."

"I'm fine," Insist, not quite comfortable around this man. Besides his height, his arms are as thick as tree trunks, and his hazel eyes… There's something rather…unusual about them, like they're mad, or he's not all there.

I look down at his thick hands and see a small, cylindrical container filled with red liquid and I ask, "What's that red liquid for?"

"It's a shot that will make you feel better, permanently," he smiles, showing a gap between his two front teeth.

He pushes me onto the cold floor with immense force, pinning me down by my arms. "Let go of me!" I demand, writhing under his heavy body. If only I was well, I could fight him better, but I can't get away.

He shoves his tree-like elbow into my throat, making me choke and he takes out a syringe filled with red liquid out of his nurse pocket, saying, "You talk too much, kid." He jabs the needle into my tongue, sending a sharp pain in it, and then it goes numb.

I try to scream, but I can't feel my tongue at all and I do one of the only things I can. I slam my bandaged skull into his, making him let go of me. I slip from under him, but as I crawl away, he grabs my leg and jabs something into it. I kick his face.

"Zane, are you in there?" Kai's voice comes from behind the door.

Chapter 3

A Blur

I grimace as he drags me back to him, but I'm not in pain. I can't feel my leg anymore or my tongue, and I can't call for help. Kai knocks on the door, calling me again, "Zane, you in there?"

_Make noise. Make noise so he can hear you! _I grab the handle of the wheelchair, trying to topple it over, and the man pries my hand off it; then begins bending my fingers backward. Pain shoots up it and I kick him again.

He screams, letting me go and I shove the wheelchair over. It lands on me and partially on the tile with a crash as something wet touches my head. The stranger shoves the chair away, rolling me onto my back and grabs my chin forcefully.

The doorknob is being turned, but it's locked. Footsteps. "Anyone in there?" Kai calls, now banging on the door. The man shoves the vial against my lips, pouring nasty liquid on me, and I struggle. I cannot get away and he pries my mouth open, forcing the stuff down.

I suddenly am completely numb, except for a slight tingle on my back from the wound. I watch him as he draws out another syringe, filled with green liquid and he whispers, "Have a good sleep, ninja."

The door bursts open and I can faintly make out Kai's form hitting the attempted murderer's…face I think. I'm feeling a bit drowsy and there's red stuff all over the white tile, a slippery, sticky substance that's on me as well.

"Help! Get the police! There's someone injured here!" Kai calls out, holding the man's thick arms behind his back, and holding something silver. They're both covered in red too.

"Zane, you with me? Don't fall asleep; help's on the way, brother. Just stay with me, please!"

He keeps talking, I think, but the words keep fading in and out. I only hear snatches of it, yet I just…want to sleep. I can feel it coming quite potently, and my head starts swimming, the floor starts rocking back and forth like a ship, tossed on the waves.

"Zane, you there? Zane!"

"Move, sir. We need to get him," a nurse pushes Kai back a bit and two other people dressed in white roll a silver and white thing beside me.

I'm now on it, being moved through an eternity of white, white, white. It's all I see as I lie here, probably being brought to the emergency room by nurses. I can make out me now at a door, someone opening it, and me being transported inside another white room.

Other blurred figures are on more white and silver structures, and a figure comes up to me, holding something cylindrical with a thin, also silver object attached to it. The person jabs it into my arm, injecting it I suppose.

"Zane, can you hear me?" a distant voice calls my name.

"Zane! What happened to him?" a purple figure exclaims as two white figures shove green, purple, red, blue, and black shapes away from me.

I think they're my…family. _Pixal, is that you? Help me, someone. _I feel so trapped, unable to move or see correctly at all. Everything after that is a distant passing right now.

"Hey, gee man. Trouble bounds to happen around you, you know that?" Lloyd frowns, leaning back in his metal chair. I'm in the hospital room again, with everyone gathered around me, looking quite concerned, as well as alarmed.

"Did I…black out again?" I ask. I can feel everything and can speak now.

"No, don't you remember?" Kai says, his eyes widening a bit with an anxious edge to his voice.

"No, I know I saw this red stuff all over the floor, all over you, all over him, and all over me. All over…_him_," I muse, trying to clear my cloudy brain.

"Think. I dropped you off at the men's room. What happened after that?" Pixal asks.

I went to the men's room…I remember! "Oh, yes, I do. I tried to get up out of the wheelchair and I…fell. I caught something and pulled myself up…then this man came in the room…holding two white towels. He set them down on the shower door and took out a syringe. The rest is all a blur. I think he attacked me."

"Well, we need a better eyewitness," a man I hadn't noticed before closes his notebook and says, "Thank you for your cooperation."

He leaves the room and I ask, "Who was that?"

"Detective Walter." Jay answers.

"Kai, there's something I never asked you that I've always wanted to: what happened when you were in the hospital yourself and went missing?" I inquire out of a sudden desire to know.

"Yeah, you never said anything about that, dear," Melissa slips an arm around her husband.

Kai shifts in his seat uncomfortably.

**Kai**

Zane just asked me about something not too pleasant to recollect.

"Yeah, you never said anything about that, dear," my beautiful wife slips an arm around me.

I shift around in my chair, kind of uncomfortable that everyone here is now staring at me. _Nice way to get attention, really! _I think sarcastically, though not blaming Zane at all, just feeling frustrated is all. Well, not exactly. I'm actually sick at the thought of what happened, the way I…

"Kai, you okay?" Melissa asks.

"Uh…yeah, yeah. I'm fine," I respond and draw in a deep and nervous breath before saying, "Okay, I might as well tell you guys. You'd find out eventually anyway, so no more hiding from it."

**Flashback**

I open my eyes, finding myself slumped over a man's back, with heavy rain just pouring and pouring on me. I try to hold in a cough, but it comes out violently, blood dripping out from my mouth. The chill is in my bones soaking my entire weak body.

"Don't move, or you're dead." Whoever this guy is better back off, because after what happened to my brother, I'm not about to let this happen either. Zane may be defensive, but I'm offensive. I don't know if that's good or bad.

"Like I won't!" I retort, grabbing his short hair and slamming my head up into his.

Chapter 4

The Inevitable Answers

He drops me on the hard, wet asphalt and I hear something in my back crack, though I barely feel it. I splash in the puddle as I push myself up on both knees, but this man grabs my throat, squeezing tightly and taking the breath out of my body. I strive to wrench him off and kick him.

He releases me and I get up, sending a blow to his head; then I grab his shoulders, slamming him into a brick wall. I punch his head three more times, feeling his bones crack beneath my fist before elbowing his gut.

By now my attacker is bleeding from his broad nose and his jeering mouth and I grab his shirt, pulling him close. "What do you want with Zane and me?"

"O-okay. I'll tell you, man. Just let me go! It hurts!" he yelps.

I let go of him and back away, my bare feet really cold from stepping in the puddles, and say in a suppressed tone, "Now tell me why and how much you know."

"Alright man, just give me a minute."

"Why…" I cough up more blood, "why…should…I?"

"Cause you broke my dang nose, man!" he holds a hand to it with a contorted face.

"Don't you pull that on me!" I shout and I punch him again.

He doubles over, crying out in pain and I cough violently, just holding my hand to my mouth with blood spurting out. I know I need an antidote for the poison and soon, or else I'm not going to make it.

I want to see my brothers and wife longer, as well as to see my children born and watch them grow up. I want to teach them how to defend themselves and to teach them morals. "I need to know the antidote," I say after the coughing has subsided.

"You need to…" the man wheezes and speaks low enough I can't hear him.

"What?" I ask, coming closer to him.

He's too quiet and I lean down by his ear. "That stuff is only temporary, man. Worry about your bros first." Before I can react, my head is in his thick hands and I'm being thrown against the wall as my hair is gripped. He wraps an arm around my throat and I grab him, twisting toward his elbow, slipping out of it, but I feel this horrible tear in my head.

I whirl around and meet a boot in my face, slamming my body back into the brick wall. I shut my eyes as I receive a blow to my ribcage, knocking the wind out of me. I open my eyes and see the man jeering, holding a piece of my flesh and hair in his hand and throw it on the sidewalk.

I try to gather up my remaining strength and throw a kick, but he catches my leg and shoves me to the ground. "You going to pay for that, man!" he shouts and stomps on my hand.

I hold in any sounds that strive to come out of me, though the pain is almost unbearable. I can't get up. Everything turns black.

**End of Flashback**

I just finished telling everyone and they all look pretty shocked. I don't blame them. After all I did pound a guy's face in, and he did the same to me.

**Zane**

_Oh my Overlord. Did he just beat a man's face in and not say anything? He looks rather guilty, yet somehow indignant at the same moment. It must have hurt his pride. _"I'm sorry," I apologize, "I shouldn't have asked, but I need to know, is this the same man that attacked me?"

Kai nods without a word. "Has anyone else seen him?" I ask.

"Yeah, I have." Lloyd responds.

"When and where?" I inquire.

**Lloyd**

_Oh, gee. Why didn't I even mention it? Too bad for you, Lloyd Garmadon, you need to tell them because we're all still in danger._

"Yes, I have," I respond hesitantly.

"When and where?" Zane asks.

"When I was about to be kidnapped, over that phone conversation," I tell him.

"Let's replay that recording," Cole says.

"I have the phone," Jay pulls it out and plays it.

After a bit of tapping the screen, we hear Zane's anxious voice, "Where are you?"

"I'm in between the buildings of the…ah!" I scream and cough as we hear blunt sounds…of me being beaten.

The guy's dreadfully deep voice comes over the phone. "We will contact you again. If you call the police, we will kill the green ninja."

"No!" I wail and the recording ends.

"Yeah, that's him alright. They call him Harry," I say to everyone.

"Interesting." Kai muses, "When I was in the cave, I heard the man saying 'I don't like what he did to Harry'. Maybe this is the same guy."

**Zane**

"What do these incidents have in common?" I ask, already aware of the answers.

"It's all done by the same person and he always does the dirty work. He's working for someone and I think I know the relationship between him and Jason.

Chapter 5

A Connection of Hits

"Well, tell us," Jay urges me after a long, awkward silence.

"Kai and Lloyd weren't there to witness it, but Jay and Cole did. Remember when we apprehended a man a few years ago for murdering a two-year-old in a parking lot?"

"Um…I think so," Jay says.

"Wait, when was this?" Lloyd asks.

"Right after us three became ninja," I respond.

"Yeah, what about him?" Cole inquires.

"Look up Harry Wentworth," I tell Jay.

The lightning ninja presses on the phone screen a few times before showing me a jail photo of him and an article below says:

_Harry Wentworth was arrested for taking a two-year-old little girl, Cass Millers, and strangling her to death. He managed to evade being detected by authorities for five months until three civilians apprehended him at convenience store in Jamanukai village. One of the three people, calling himself Cole Black said, "If I had been there, Cass would have been safe."_

_The one calling himself Jay Walker said, "It's a tragedy at how people will actually hurt little children."_

_We asked the one called Zane to say something and his response was, "My deepest condolences for the Millers. The pain of losing a loved one is great, but the pain of not remembering them is greater."_

_Zane told us he doesn't remember his family, thus unable to give a surname._

The article continues, but I look away and let Jay show the others. "You actually said that?" Kai asks in disbelief. I nod.

"Gee, Wentworth and Jason does not go together," Jay adds.

"So, what does that have to do with Jason?" Pixal inquires.

"Look up 'Wentworth Brothers'," I tell Jay and he comes up with a photo of Jason and Harry in jail again for knifing and strangling a teenage girl.

"They're…brothers?" Nya gasps and everyone else merely drops his mouth agape.

**Flashback**

I slip out of my room and limp over to Grandmother's, about to knock when I hear a hot argument.

"Jason!" I hear Jane's usually gentle voice reprimanding her brother angrily, "Why did you kill that woman's cat?"

"Because that dumb animal bit me!" he screams back at her, wrenching the door open and shoving me out of the way. "What are you doing here?"

"I…I was going to…" I begin to explain but he cut me off.

"Stay out of, Zane," he brushes past me, lightly punching my leg wound.

I gasp in pain and hold onto my injury, blood soaking my jeans as Jane exits the room in a huff. She pushes her brown hair out of her face, muttering, "Why did we even adopt that freak?"

"J-Jane…can you help me?" I ask.

"Oh, Zane, why didn't you say anything? You're not supposed to reopen your wound! Come on, let's go and bandage you up."

**End of Flashback**

I tell the others what I remember and they nod their heads in understanding. "We need to investigate this," Kai says.

"Yeah, and we need to be on the alert. I believe the two are or were hit men," I tell them.

It hurts to mention him, after what he did, the murder, the abuse the lie. I subconsciously touch where my arm had a scar, fingering it. After turning human it had disappeared, but the scars in my heart remain as a permanent barrier.

I lie back down on the soft, clean bed, smelling the scent of newly washed sheets filling my nose and shutting my eyes. I want them to leave me, so they don't see me this way. I don't know what to do. "Kai," Melissa's voice sounds quite panicked. "I think the twins want out, babe."

I open my eyes and see Pixal here, sitting next to me, staring at her wide-eyed. Kai starts breathing more heavily than his wife, "What do we do? What do we do?"

"Call the doctor," Nya says, patting Emma's back.

"Kai, please, take me to a birthing center," Melissa pleads.

"What?" Kai exclaims, quite taken aback.

"Remember, we made an appointment?"

"But since we're already here, shouldn't we just-"

"Kai please!" she holds her hands against her stomach and screams.

"Cole, get the car," the fire ninja hands him the key and picks his wife up under her legs and under her back.

Jay opens the door while everyone, excluding Pixal and I, head out. "We'll be back frosty," the lightning ninja tells me and leaves shutting the door behind him.

I hope Melissa is okay; the poor woman seemed to be in lots of pain. I really oughtn't wallow in self-pity. I have my family who love me, that should be enough. Furthermore, I have Pixal, and we both have a strange connection of love somehow.

She runs a soft hand through my blond hair, saying gently, "Zane, I know this has been hard for you. Don't shut your emotions up like that. You're a human now and it's unhealthy to do that."

"Pixal, has everyone been hiding something from me?" I venture to ask after a few moment of blissful silence.

She looks rather hesitant and withdraws her hand, setting it on her lap. "Zane…I don't know how to tell you this," she begins quietly, "It's about Jason… I…the others told me not to say anything, but I'm going to anyway. He's…not dead."

"What?" I gasp in disbelief and surprise. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to…but the others said he's wanted anyhow, so even if he got away, he would get captured. They don't want you to go after him and get hurt."

"I have to search for him," I say and throw the covers off. She grabs my arm and won't let go, but I wrench away from her. I push myself off the bed as my feet meet the cold tile and fall on my elbows and knees.

"Please, Zane, you're going to end up injured worse. Look at the state you're in!"

"Pixal, I've decided I won't try to kill him, but I must bring him to justice with my own hands," I tell her, grabbing the bedpost and trying to get up.

"Okay, I'll take you to search for him."

**Time Lapse**

I'm in the hover car now, in clothing that's pretty beat up and already bloodstained from the other fights I've had, not to mention the fact that _everything_ shows up on white. Pixal gave me a black jacket to cover it up though and now we're listening to the radio in the parking lot, waiting for news of Jason.

My fiancé insisted on driving and now it's just a matter of waiting. We're listening to a shoe advertisement on the radio until it abruptly changes.

A man's voice comes over the feed. "We interrupt this program to bring you news of the man, Jason Wentworth, wanted for attempted murder heading on North Rd."

"That's our cue," I tell her.

Chapter 6

The Mole

Once we hit the right street, my lovely fiancé turns to me and asks, "Are you ready for this?"

I nod. She pulls over next to a road meter as I undo my seatbelt and I open my door. "I'll take care of the meter, just be careful and try not to get into any situations. Here," Pixal hands me a .22 Magnum, "You might need this."

I take it and respond, "Thank you. Is this cocked?"

"I usually don't for safety reasons. Do you have a carrying license?"

I nod. "Be careful, Pixal," I say and she gives me a little pop kiss on my cheek.

"I will," she reassures me.

I slip the gun in my belt, concealing it with my jacket, though inevitably there is a slightly visible bulge there. I amble as casually as possible into the street, a place that's not a pretty sight.

It's one of those bad neighborhoods where the residents are in danger of being shot daily. Graffiti permeates nearly every wall and trash lines the entire street. Broken bottles are in a yard, scattered across the lawn of singed grass, probably that way from a careless drunken person or an arsonist. A pale little boy, wearing dirty clothing that looks like it came from a dumpster sees me, staring with soulless, dull eyes. He's holding an empty beer bottle in his emaciated hand.

_I hope he wasn't drinking that. _A group of other little kids, about seven or eight years of age, come behind him, all staring the same way and holding glass bottles of different shapes and sizes. Now it hits me. The yard they're on has a shattered window and shards litter the thirsty grass, meaning one possible thing.

"Who are you?" the boy asks coldly.

"I'm," I pause, believing it's unwise to say I'm a ninja in this crime-infested area, "I'm looking for someone."

"What does he look like?" The child tenses up, squeezing the bottle tightly.

"He's about six feet tall," I put my hand a bit over my head for comparison, "and has short, black hair. He's wanted by the police." The boy's eyes widen and I realize my mistake. "I'm here to get him out of here, so no one is going to be involved," I quickly add.

"I know a girl who saw him. Kelly, come here," he yells over his shoulder. A girl about ten years old comes over, twirling her brown braids and starts when she sees me.

"Jenna, this is where you live?" I nearly drop my mouth open. She's the girl who said she was lost at the gas station. "How do you know Jason?"

"Uh…Zane…" she looks quite frightened and clutches the bottom of her skirt. "I'm sorry! He made me do it!" she blurts out and starts crying. "He said if I didn't spy on you, he was going to kill my family!"

I get on one knee and put my hands on her thin shoulders. "Where is he?"

"I'll show you," she says, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

I follow her down the entire street, and turn onto another abandoned one with worn down buildings that look like a ghost town. Jenna takes me past quite a few of them, and I nearly trip several times before she stops. We're a few houses away from the end of this street and the girl turns to me. "Don't tell him anything please."

I nod and whisper, "Thank you Jenna." She gives a little smile and takes off while I pull out my .22 Magnum and cock it.

I feel far safer with the weapon, but anything could go wrong at this delicate point. I begin approaching the building cautiously, though inevitably step on shards of glass and splash in puddles.

Last night it had been raining, so everything is even more dismal, including the ashen clouds covering the sky. The cement is cracked and uneven, not exactly helping my coordination from my damaged cerebellum.

My heart is pounding as I inch my way to the concrete building, where a bit of smoke exits the broken window. An orange tinted light emanates from the abandoned place. I draw in a few deep breaths before peering through the window to meet an interesting sight. Jason and Harry are sitting next to a bonfire, eating out of cans with their chilled fingers from the icy breeze. The musty odor is something I have to get used to, as it is everywhere here.

"Why did everything have to be this way?" Harry grumbles. If nothing had gone wrong, we would have been rich. Do you know how much it would cost to sell that map, not to mention the golden weapons?

"We wouldn't need to rob or do the dirty work at all and I want you to remind me, brother, why did we leave Whyplash?"

Jason throws his now empty can on the floor while standing up, sending an echo in the concrete building, and grabs Harrison's drab jacket, pulling him close. "They killed _my_ family! They tried to kill _me, me, me_! I helped them and they betrayed _me_! Why should I listen to them? I was at their disposal, but not anymore."

"Why are we trying to kill Zane and Kai then?"

My heart skips a beat. This is what I need to know. Why are they trying to kill us?

"Because," Jason lets go of Harry and sits down in a huff, "When the other hit man killed Kai's mom, Zane was there. Nya doesn't remember anything, but the other two do."

"Then Lloyd?"

"What?"

"Why are we after Lloyd?"

"He found out too much, but at least when we kidnapped him, we erased that part of his memory. That would have been disastrous."

"What do we do next?"

"Get rid of Zane and Kai, then leave. What else do you think? You want to sit with an officer and eat donuts in jail? Go ahead if you want, bro."

"I mean, what exactly do we do next?" Harry crosses his arms.

"Get Pixal."

_No! No one hurts Pixal! _I nearly burst out with anger, but only find myself losing balance and hit the floor. I didn't even trip.

"What's that?" I hear Jason and Harry shuffling in the building. Thank goodness the gun didn't go off.

_Oh dang._

Chapter 7

The Gun Pursuit

"Who's there?" I hear Jason ask as footsteps draw near.

I feel this suddenly energizing heat flush over my body, rage, an emotion I rarely experience. I get up as a breeze brings a poignant smell to my nostrils, and I clutch the gun tightly enough that it trembles.

I keep my finger against the trigger guard, and support my left hand with my right. I'm glad Pixal gave me this gun as it has thirty rounds per magazine. I hear a crackle as the orange and red tint becomes more evident. I hold my breath, counting the seconds it takes for them to reach here.

_One. _A crackle.

_Two. _Footsteps.

_Three. _A clang.

_Four. _A cock.

_Five. _A whisper.

_Six. _Silence.

No one stirs. The sounds of our breaths are the only things perceived and I can expect a warm greeting, based upon those friendly noises. Why are they not striking? I wait, yet there is no activity on the other side. I think running would be wise, considering that I'm up against two highly skilled hit men that are bound to have weapons as well.

"The police are here! They've got their guns pointed at you! I hear the sirens and see those fluorescent light flashing at the building!" my phone starts ringing and playing the ridiculous tone, selected by Jay and Lloyd.

Footsteps.

I roll my eyes, nettled at the fact that someone would call me now, and scare off my targets. I climb through the window and catch a glimpse of Jason and Harrison exiting through an opening where a door was never installed. I fire, feeling a slight kickback, and the bullet is now imbedded in the wall. I nearly slip on the concrete, but make it unscathed through the doorway and shoot several more times. None of them find their mark.

A stationary target's hard enough, yet a moving one is even harder to hit, especially with how uncoordinated I am right now. I fire again and blood spatters from Jason's leg, but he keeps running, unfazed.

The wet asphalt causes me to spontaneously fall on my stomach, and the gun goes off, right next to my head. My ears are ringing. I had been gaining on them, now I have quite a distance to move though. I get up, holding the gun a little away from myself and see the two scale six feet, chain link fence. I somehow find myself clambering over I as well.

I turn onto the next street. Light blinds me and I shield my eyes as something screeches. I look to see a black mini van in front of me, only a few feet away.

A bald, pale man practically throws the door open, seeming rather fuming, and shoves a nine millimeter in my face, close enough I can make out a blurry tattoo. "Put your gun down," he demands.

I don't want to. I need to get Jason and Harrison before they hurt Pixal. "I have to-"

A loud pop brings my body back a bit and I look down. There's blood on my right side. I wait for him to say something and another man comes out with an HK .416, pointing it at my head. The first gunman asks, "What are you doing?"

"Pursuing two wanted men," I respond, hoping they aren't wanted as well.

"Clear pass."

"What?"

"Go get them. You don't want the cops involved too, do you?"

I shake my head, obviously lying, but dart off, all the way down the street until I see the Pixal by the hover vehicle, waiting anxiously. "What happened to you?" her mouth drops agape.

"Same as last time, I think," I tell her.

"Did you get them?"

"No, but I shot him. We can follow his blood trail though."

"No," she says flatly.

"Why?" I ask, rather surprised.

"You're hurt and we need to return to the hospital before the others return and suspect us. He's shot, so he won't go far."

I sigh indignantly and get in the car, shutting the door not too gently. Pixal starts the vehicle we both strap in our seatbelts then I unzip the jacket. Only now do I feel any sort of pain in my side and Pixal asks, "Do you need help?"

"I don't know. I need to see how bad it is," I say and lift my shirt up, causing more blood to squirt out, but find it only grazed. From point blank, he must not have intended to harm me much.

"We need to stop the car and I'll help you," Pixal tells me.

"Now how do we explain this mess?"

Chapter 8

All Lies: The Secret Investigation

"I don't know," I respond as Pixal parks the car on the side of the road, "but we'll have to figure out something."

I gingerly remove my seatbelt, though it inevitably brushes against the laceration, sending hot pain in my side. I gasp, clutching the door handle tightly with my eyes shut.

"Zane, let me help you," Pixal says and I can hear her seatbelt click. A cold hand touches my face, caressing it, and I venture to open my eyes again. "You're going to be okay."

I nod and she lifts my bloody, what-used-to-be-white shirt up, probably assessing the damage further. She touches the gash with a freezing finger, sending more pain, and tugging at the flesh. Blood. I can feel the blood squirting out, though I turn away, gripping the handle like there's no tomorrow. Being human can be really hard at times. If I were a robot again, I could have been repaired already, and not having these long, after affects that are deemed to remain with me for quite some time, unfortunately. I just hope everything will be over soon. At least when Marcy changes me back to my original body, my heart will be healed…permanently.

"I forgot…to ask you…Pixal," I gasp, turning and clutching her wrist to keep her from touching my wound.

"You can ask, but you need to let me clean the laceration," she gently removes my hand and I notice she's holding a white washcloth. I don't bother wondering where she got it and merely brace myself. She meticulously wipes it, sending hot pain in my side.

I tense up and ask, "What happened at the hospital?"

"What do you mean?" Pixal says tentatively.

"When Harrison attacked me."

She holds the cloth against the wound and applies pressure. "Kai stopped him, though he already suffered from a concussion and a broken jaw when he arrived. You were treated and were in Intensive Care for several hours, but thankfully the doctors were able to stop the poison from spreading too far into your bloodstream. You were in a sort of delirium for awhile, yet here you are, in a different situation."

"How could…" I start, but she speaks for me.

"A human withstand such a thing?" Pixal says. "Marcy gave you a resilient body."

I nod and she continues, "We better return before the others suspect us, or else who knows. They may keep guards to protect, as well as lock you up and then I won't be able to help you."

**At the Hospital**

After binding the wound we sped back to the hospital, Pixal receiving a ticket for a rolling-stop on the way. We already went inside and she left me in my room to change. I just need to put the hospital top on and get in the bed before…

"Is Zane inside?" Marcy's voice comes from the other side of the door.

"He's resting right now," Pixal's voice sounds a bit on edge.

I put the long-sleeved shirt on and begin buttoning it up when the door starts to open. In full-fledged panic, I throw my other clothes under the bed and slip into the covers, concealing the mostly open shirt that exposes my chest and wound. I shut my eyes and hear scuffling.

A hand tousles my hair. _Why does everyone do that? _"Zane, how are you doing?" Marcy asks.

I don't respond, hoping they believe I am asleep and will leave quickly. "What's this on the floor?" Sensei Garmadon inquires.

"It looks like blood," Misako says.

_Oh, dang it!_

"It must have been a mistake from the doctors," Pixal suggests.

"How is he doing?" Sensei Wu asks.

"Better than expected, but he's lost a lot of blood so he won't be up and about for several days," Pixal responds. "Do any of you know how Melissa is doing?"

"I got a call a few minutes ago from Kai," Sensei Wu replies. "She just had the twins."

"Wonderful."

"They said they would swing by tomorrow, and were going to visit," Misako requests, "Tell Zane when he wakes up we said hello."

"I'll be sure to," Pixal says. Shuffles. The door opens and shuts.

I open my eyes and see my fiancé beaming as she ambles beside me. She sits down in the chair, taking my cold hands in hers, and rubs them gently. "Are you feeling any better?" she asks.

I nod and she strokes my blond hair, humming softly as sleep takes over me. Tomorrow is going to be quite long, I expect.

Chapter 9

A Turn of Events

3:30 A.M.

"Where have you both been?" Kai crosses his arms and stares at me while leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen entrance; then quickly uncrosses them. "What is going on?"

"Kai…" I say, glancing from to Jason and back to him again, uncertain of how to explain the situation.

I shift my weight to my other side, wincing from having lain on the cold tile for far too long. I look at the cabinet in front of me, with several tally marks scratched out and raise a hand, shackled around the wrists by heavy manacles. I put a finger against the rotting wood and slowly count how many days it's been since I was taken. 21.

Kai rushes up to me and lifts the chains that are attached to the floor, and pulls at them. His efforts are futile. I cock my head to see that Pixal is still unconscious only a few feet across from me and Jason is as well, at the far end of the dismal room. "Don't bother," I tell him. "W-we…need…a k-k-key," I say, my voice losing control.

"Key? Where?" Kai asks.

"C-c-cabinet," I point to the one high above me, though the chains prevent me from moving my hand up too much. "F-f-f-fast. He's…c-com-ming…back."

Kai opens it with ease and takes out a brass key; then goes to unlock mine when I hold up a hand. "P-Pixal."

"Okay, I'll be right back." The fire ninja unlocks her chains as her eyes shoot open, and she grabs onto his leg with a weak scream. "Pixal, it's me, Kai."

"K-Kai…g-ge-get Zane," she pleads.

"I've got both of you," he responds, helping her sit and lean against the cabinet behind her. He then unlocks my shackles and drags me to a sitting position as well.

I flinch, feeling every aching muscle and hot sting in my worn out body before mumbling, "J-Jas-Jason."

"Why should we save him? Leave him," Kai says, "Melissa already told me what he did to you."

I shudder at the reminder of the abuse of those three weeks when I was thirteen. Three weeks passed…as well. "N-no!" I yell, clutching my brother's arm as he attempts to pick me up off the floor.

"What's the matter? Are you hurt?" he asks, gently setting me back down.

"G-get…Jason. Has…a-a-a-ans-swers…or he'll…be k-kill-killed."

"What?"

A loud bang and a creak draw our attention to the door that is ajar and the one who opened it.

THREE WEEKS AGO:

"Look at them, Zane!" Pixal squeals with delight as Melissa hands us each a twin.

I have Jill and Pixal has Jack. The little girl's hands are still balled up in little fists, and her pink face flushes a bright red as she coos at me. I smile, holding my arm under her delicate neck, and play with her tiny fingers. "Congratulations," I say to Melissa and Kai, who are both beaming.

"Thank you," they both respond simultaneously and hold each other's hands. I kiss Jill's soft forehead and gingerly give her back to Melissa and Pixal does likewise.

My phone rings and I pull it out of my jeans pocket, before seeing it's an unknown caller. Usually I don't pick up, but after what happened last time I do answer it. "Hello?"

"Is this Zane Julien?" a panicky male voice asks.

"Yes. Who is this?" I inquire.

"Harrison. I'm going to confess, or else they're going to kill me, man."

Chapter 10

The Confession

5:45 P.M.

I press the recording button on the phone. "Say that again?"

"I'm going to confess to the murders of Kai and Nya's parents," Harrison responds in a shaky manner.

"Where are you?" I inquire as calmly as possible, holding in my emotions of hopefulness.

"I'll meet you tomorrow at Buddy's Pizza tonight 6:00 P.M."

"Okay." He hangs up and I stop recording, pocketing the phone. _I wonder why he picked there of all places._

"Zane, what's up?" Kai asks.

"Harrison is going to confess to the murders," I reply, turning to face the group of astonished individuals.

"Okay, go on ahead you to," Kai says.

I nod and Pixal and I head outside of the birthing center, getting in the hover car. We drive to the place and park outside, waiting rather anxiously for Harrison to show up. It's already 6:09 now, and he still isn't here. I tap the steering wheel impatiently, chewing my lip as usual, and feel this pain in the back of my head. I groan, rubbing the back of it. It's been two weeks since I was released from the hospital and my head still occasionally hurts. I fall sometimes too.

"You okay?" Pixal inquires, touching my shoulder.

I nod and look up to see a figure clad in the same outfit I had seen him last, except that he is wearing a black cap to cover most of his face. "He's here."

"Are you certain it's him?" Pixal asks.

"I'm certain," I respond. _He's not easy to miss and he did attack me before._

We both exit the car and make our way inside, holding hands to seem less suspicious, though we're already engaged. "Act natural," I whisper in my fiancé's ear. We enter and I spot him sitting in the very rear of the restaurant; then we sit directly across from him. He's hunched over where I cannot see most of his face and makes me uncomfortable.

A waitress comes over with a red tray of three coffee cups and sets them down in front of us. "Enjoy," she smiles and ambles back to the kitchen.

I didn't realize a pizza place would have coffee and I merely hold the cup in my hands, feeling the warmth flow through my palms. "Well? You said you would confess."

"They're going to kill me. If I tell you, will you protect me from them?" Harrison asks.

"Depends on how much you know," I respond.

"Where is Jason?" Pixal inquires sternly.

"That's the problem. They took him," Harrison informs us.

"What?" Pixal and I exclaim in unison; then I lower my voice through gritted teeth.

"Who took him?"

"I need to be promised full protection first," Harrison responds.

I slam my hands down on the table, attracting a bit of unwanted attention, and sloshing the coffee. A bit spills over the edges. I grab him by his jacket and speak in his face. "Where is he?"

"Protection first," Harrison insists.

"Where is he?" I repeat, trying with all my will not to pound his head into the table. I can feel my hands shaking violently and Pixal grabs my arm, trying to pry me off him.

"Tell us about the murders first," she says.

"Alright," he begins, "Let me go and we'll sit down and have a nice talk."

Reluctantly I release him and sit back, taking the coffee cup in my hands again. He does the same and gulps his down casually; then sets it down, leaning forward over the table. I pick up the cup, staring at him intently, and drink a bit of it. "You know who we worked for, though he's always been a minor nuisance to you."

"Whiplash?" I inquire, raising my brows skeptically.

"So you overheard our conversation in the building." I nod. "Well, if that's the case, let's skip to-"

"No," I slam my cup down abruptly, shaking the table again. "No skipping," I say sternly.

"Zane, calm down," Pixal tells me, grabbing my arm a second time.

"I'm sorry," I apologize. _Did they even put caffeine in here? Sure, I've had sleep deprivation recently, but this is ridiculous._

I feel my eyelids trailing shut and force them to stay open. "Without further ado…why don't we go to the car?"

"Car?" I manage to say as my vision swims. _Oh no. Did he drug the coffee?_

"Always watch your drink, Zane," Harrison tell me with a smirk, but as I lurch forward and my head rests on the table, I can see he's not the man who called. Blackness fills my vision.

Chapter 11

Till Death Do us Part

I open my eyes to meet a swimming, red ceiling. I shut them and merely lie in an awkward position with one leg stretched out, the other bent halfway and my arms are crossed over my chest with my hands touching my shoulders.

"Zane, are you awake?" Pixal's lovely voice asks and a clammy hand rests on my arm.

I nod, my head rubbing against something hard and cold as well as sticky. _Wait, am I in the Monastery or is this somewhere else? I don't remember seeing a red ceiling before. _I reopen my weary lids, letting them drift around a room with black walls and I let my gaze fall on the black tile of the floor, stained bright red with blood. I touch my stinging neck and find it has a small laceration. "What happened?" I venture to ask.

"The man who drugged you took you as a hostage," Pixal responds. I shiver and she sits cross-legged, gently placing my head in her arms. I feel my warm body against hers and feel a sort of security, yet I don't know what she's talking about.

"What man?" I inquire.

"Harrison, don't you remember?" Pixal says.

"Harrison?"

"We met him because he was going to confess to the murders of-"

It hits me like a brick wall. Confession. Jason. Missing. I abruptly sit straight up and look frantically around for a sign of where we are. We're against the back left corner in a twenty-by-twenty area with red table in the middle of the room. Across from us is a red door and an inscription with silver letters is on it.

_Black Roses are not as Beautiful as Red Ones_

I've heard that phrase before at some point. Where though? Oh, yes, Kai told me, but that means…no. "Pixal, we need to get out of here," I say, pushing myself up to a standing position and she does likewise.

"We can't. It's locked," she informs me.

"No, you don't understand," I tell her, "Remember the week when we brought Kai, Jay, and Cole back from the cave?" She nods. "Kai told me about this place. He was taken and held here with Nya when they were young by a sadist he called Rigid."

"How do you know it's here?" she asks fretfully, clutching my arm.

"The inscription: Black Roses are not as Beautiful as Red Ones."

"What does it mean?"

"It means death is not as fun as torturing or inflicting pain on someone. The colors in this room represent blood and death," I say, pausing to let it all sink in.

"But how do we get out?" Pixal asks, her neon eyes widening.

"The window," I tell her, walking around the table and she sticks to me like glue.

"The window won't work. If you jump out, you'll die."

"No, Kai also told me this place has illusions so it's only two stories," I say, pushing the window up with her still clutching my arm.

I look down and feel a bit giddy at the looks of the height. Kai was not kidding. I'll need to get something the use like a rope so I take off my white shirt and begin tearing pieces of it into one long strip. Pixal seems to understand and lets go of my arm, waiting expectantly. I finish it in a few minutes and tie it to the table before letting the other end out the window. "Let me test it first. I'll be back before you know it, okay?"

"Okay. Be careful Zane," she tells me and kisses my cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too," I say and slip out the window, grabbing onto the cloth. I begin lowering myself down, yet something isn't right. The cloth starts to tear as I descend and I quickly climb back up, and something pierces my leg sending hot pain. I don't look and keep moving. I just grab onto the sill when it snaps and pull myself back up inside.

"We'll have to try another way," I tell her.

"What happened?" she asks as I shut the window and limp back to the corner.

"The cloth snapped."

"What about your leg?" she inquires, pointing to it.

I glance down to see it's all bloody and a piece of metal protrudes from it. It strangely doesn't hurt much. "I don't know."

"Let me take care of it," she says and sits next to me, grabbing the bottom of her purple dress.

"Leave it," I tell her, grabbing her slender wrist, "If you pull it out, I will bleed to death."

"Then…what now?"

"Wait. We have to wait for the man to come. First off though," I say, pulling out papers and a pen from my pocket, "I would like you, Pixal, to marry me." She stares at the blood stained objects and looks up at me with moist eyes. "I know this is sudden, but you never know what may happen. I was planning for something more romantic than this place though. Sorry."

"It doesn't matter," Pixal says, taking one of the papers and signing it, "As long as you are here. Thank you Zane." She hugs me gently and lets go so I can sign mine. I do and then produce a box from my other pocket. I open it to reveal a white diamond ring on a golden band, and a plain golden band too.

Pixal takes the plain one and slips it on my finger with trembling hands. I smile and slip hers on her ring finger; then we embrace again. We did it. We're finally married, despite the circumstances and all we've been through. We release each other again and I stare into her green eyes, lean in, and press my lips against hers. We kiss for a long time, until we need breath and pull away, both beaming. I caress her white cheek in my hand and she starts to cry. I wipe her tears off her gorgeous face and whisper to her, "Don't cry. It's going to be okay. We'll make it through, Dear."

"Oh, Zane!" she cries, throwing her arms around my neck, sobbing harder. I pat her back and we sit her, comforting one another. I will protect my wife, no matter what. We will get out of here.

Chapter 12

To Wait or to Escape?

"Zane?" Pixal calls my name softly, leaning against my shoulder.

"Yes?"

"Where did you get the scar on your shoulder from?" she asks, tracing the old, closed wound from when I was thirteen. It tickles and I twitch a bit.

"From when the three men invaded the house in the village."

"That must have been painful," she says, hugging me tighter. It was, but the helplessness I felt when Jane and Grandmother were killed was even worse. There's nothing more painful than watching someone suffer and die without being able to help them.

"Pixal?"

"Yes?" she responds, running her fingers through my blond hair and snuggling closer to me.

"Will you promise me something?"

"What is it?"

"If something bad happens…save your self first," I tell her, turning and wrapping my arms around her.

"Zane, I could never do that," she replies, "You know I would do anything to protect you."

"Please, promise me you will," I implore her, "I can't lose anyone else close to me."

She stares up at me, her green eyes unreadable. "Please, Pixal."

"Alright, I promise," she says, taking my hands in hers. I smile and caress her moist cheek.

"Don't cry."

I lean in and kiss her forehead gently for a long time. I let my hands fall of her slender shoulders to rest on her thin waist and pull her in closer. Her stomach is pressed against mine and she takes my warm neck in her lovely hands. I move my moist lips away from her forehead and let them slide down her cheek to touch her lips. I press a bit harder, but not enough to smother her, ignoring the stabbing pain in my leg.

She's the first girl I've ever kissed. I married my first love and she's the only one for me in this lifetime. My wife smiles and kisses back with pleasantly cold lips, and runs two hands through my hair again. I feel my heart hammering through my chest.

We should be attempting to escape, not kiss and be affectionate right now. Affection. It's something I haven't experienced much in my lifetime, but it's wonderful. It's the greatest feeling I have ever known and I don't want to stop right now, nor ever really.

I lean forward and so does she, causing us to fall backwards against the wall, me sliding to the floor with her small figure on top. I feel my cheeks heat up and feel this sensation in my stomach that seems like adrenaline or something. It feels like I'm about to plummet, but it is pleasant and addicting at the same moment. I touch her smooth, silver hair and tickle her neck. She giggles and pulls away, tickling my nose. "Zane Julien," she beams, "You have terrible breath."

I chuckle and hug her gently, feeling her cold body against mine. "Everything's going to be okay. We'll make it out," I reassure her.

"I trust you, Zane. We will get out."

"For now, let's wait," I say. She nods, pushing my head back down with an index. I smile as she plays with my hair and slides her left hand down my chest, tracing my abs.

After a few minutes she falls asleep on me and I wrap both arms around her. In a few hours I begin to feel a bit thirsty and sick to my stomach. My leg feels hot and painful, enough I have to refrain from shifting every few seconds so as to not wake her up.

No sounds have reached my ears so far, except a little roach that had crept in the room earlier and disappeared into a crack in the tile. If Pixal had been awake, she would have chased after it all over this place. I shut my eyes wearily and find a sweet, soft sort of tranquility, despite the circumstances. I hear a few shifts that soon start to fade away.

"Zane, my son," a voice calls me belonging to the precious soul I lost so long ago.

"Father?" A man materializes in front of Pixal and I. His white hair is still kept neatly as ever, and he shifts his thick, framed glasses against the bridge of his nose.

"Come, my son. Set her down for a moment and get up."

I gently remove Pixal from my chest and gingerly set her delicate figure on the floor. I get up and Father takes my hand, ambling toward the window. Strangely, my leg doesn't feel any pain whatsoever.

We both peer out the window down the seemingly five or six story building to the ground below. Father turns around and sets a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Son, it's shorter than you or even Kai think. You could even jump down, Zane."

"Thank you, Father," I say and he pulls me into an embrace, still smelling of the same cologne he's always worn. I return it. I can hardly hold back the tears that threaten to take over me. "I miss you so much, Father."

"I miss you too, Zane," he responds in his caring way, "I need to leave, son. I love you."

"I love you too, Father," I say, hugging him a bit tighter before he gently pries me off.

He turns away. "Wait!" I set a hand on his shoulder, a tear slipping down my cheek. "When will you be back?"

"Soon, my son."

I open my eyes. Pixal is still asleep on my chest and my leg still throbs horribly. It was only a dream, but at least a pleasant one compared to many I have had. I now feel a bit…more peaceful, after having been able to see my father. _The window…could it be?_

I do the same to Pixal as I had in my dream and amble to the window, this time alone. I peer out. It does seem to have shrunk a bit since last time I looked, yet again, could it be? I swing both legs outside and stretch my hands out, feeling for the sill. My left one touches it and grasps it. I draw in a deep breath, waiting to gather up my strength and courage for this, the leap of faith. I grab the sill with my right hand as well…and jump.

Chapter 13

Two Bereft of Aid

I feel my stomach drop as I fall into the unknown. I hit the floor without warning and land on one knee, panting. I get up and look to where the window is and realize its barely above one story high; then climb swiftly back up.

"Pixal, we need to get out of here," I say, hurrying over and shaking her shoulders.

Her eyes snap open and she sits up, knocking her head against mine. I ignore that and pull her by her arm to the window. "What's going on?" she asks.

"We need to leave. The place is less than two stories so we can jump down," I tell her, letting go of her arm.

She nods. Pixal swings her legs over the window and leaps out without any questions. "I'm down!" she shouts.

I do likewise and soon I'm with her, yet that's when things go awry. I hear a horn blaring and a black sedan shows up in front of us, flashing bright lights in our way. "Pixal, run," I tell her, grabbing her hand and bolt to the left of the vehicle. It turns toward us and I veer to away, onto the uneven asphalt.

"Zane, get out of the road!" Pixal yells and I redirect us to the side where a forest lays, plowing through the bushes.

We pass thick clusters of trees. I can hear the vehicle screech to a halt and the distinct noises of car doors opening and slamming. One click. Two clicks. Three clicks. Bang!

The tree next to us is shot, and my ears start ringing. I push Pixal in front of me and let go of her hand, bolting forward, but find the hanging things from the tree and other plants a bit difficult to pass. I get my hair caught in the thorns several times before pulling free into a clearing.

All the while I can hear the rustles of the bushes behind us and hear gunshots. One lands right next to my shoe. "Pixal," I halt and so she does too, "Keep going. I'll divert their attention and give us some time.

I push her forward again before she can argue and she turns again. "But Zane-"

"Now!" I yell as a bullet whistles though the air and strikes the ground in front of her. A patch of grass flies through the air and she nods, taking off away from me.

"Whoever is out there, tell me: what do you want?" I ask calmly. The firing ceases.

"On the ground, now!" an all-to-familiar voice demands. Jason.

I get on my knees, fighting the urge to tear him into pieces.

"Put your hands were we can see them." I place both against the back of my head as three figures emerge from the thick trees: Jason, Harrison, and the man who had been at the table who drugged me.

Jason gets in front of them, 22. Magnum PMR-30 raised at my head. The other two slip behind him Glock and AR-15 raised as well pointing at… "Jason!" I yell, not wishing to lose a witness, too late.

Bang!

Chapter 14

Little Juliens?

Jason slumps to the ground in front of me, his left leg pierced by a bullet from Harrison's AR-15. "No!" I scream, hoping Pixal doesn't think I'm hit.

"Don't kill him!" a woman comes up behind them holding a .9 mm., resembling Victoria, yet not quite the same. "Whiplash wants them all alive!"

"Carmel, not right now, okay?" Harrison says, rolling his eyes. "You, robot! Where's that purple and white freak?"

"No one calls my wife that!" I retort, receiving a blow to my head from the other man's gun. I see a flash of white light and feel searing pain for a brief moment.

"Since when has she become your wife, kid?" Carmel asks.

"Today."

The group exchange glances and I snatch the .22 Magnum PMR-30 Jason had dropped; then fire at the nearest target, the man I don't know. Red sprays from his stomach and he screams.

I leap and do a quick sweep to Carmel's leg, knocking her to the floor and shoot at Harrison. I hit his gun and he drops it. I bolt away from them, glancing over my shoulder to see the man retrieving the AR-15.

I halt, pivoting on a heel and fire again. Missed. Harrison shoots but his gun jams. He curses loudly.

I shoot several times in rapid succession, but none of them seem to meet their mark. I feel a cold hand pull me behind a tree and turn with the gun pointed at her. "Pixal?" I whisper, immediately lowering my weapon.

"We need to go, Zane," she says and I nod. We both head away, but I sense something isn't right. I don't know what though.

After approximately five minutes, we both halt and I take in my surroundings. Thick trees and bushes are all to be seen as far the eye can go. "We need to find the road and walk alongside it."

"I say we head to the left and then go backwards, so we don't run into them again," Pixal proposes. I nod.

We keep moving with the only being our footsteps and insects swarming. The birds twitter on without any concern at all for our current plight, despite the fact that there were gunshots not that long ago.

I halt for a moment, putting my hands on my knees from the pain in my leg. I feel sick. Pixal doesn't seem to notice and keeps walking on for a few more feet. She turns around as I straighten up and keep moving.

"You okay?" she puts a hand on my shoulder. Even that feels like an immense weight and I put on a façade of optimism.

"Yes, I am. Don't worry." I gently remove her hand and she gives me an unconvinced look before resuming the toilsome walk for our survival.

My leg hurts a lot. I decide to start up a conversation to keep my mind off it. "Pixal?"

"Yes?"

"Have you ever wanted kids?" I inquire.

"Yes, a boy and a girl."

"Me too."

"Cyrus Borg…created me with the…um…" Pixal looks uncomfortable and turns away from me, hastening her footsteps. I wait for her to continue. "He…I…he…um Z-Zane."

"Yes?"

"He-my creator-he made me more human-like."

I don't know what she's getting at, but I press a little further. "How?"

"I am capable…" She turns three shades of red as she turns to face me again. "I am capable of…having children."

That's something I had never considered: having kids. I knew I would most likely adopt or not have someone to get married to at all until I met my wife. "What would you like to have named them?" I ask.

"Oh. I don't know. I'd love to have little Juliens running around though."

"And little Pixals," I add. We both chuckle, despite being a bit lost in this forest.

"I was thinking about it a few days ago," I say, "I was getting our rings and I was wondering if you wanted to adopt children after the wedding I had planned."

She blushes harder and squeezes my hand, swinging our arms back and forth. "Yes, I would love that."

"So…after we get out of here?"

She nods, beaming. We amble a few more minutes in silence. I feel each step cautiously and my sneaker touches something softer that gives way beneath me. Before I can react, I'm on the hard ground, covered in dirt on my knees. I gaze up. I'm in a pit.

"Pixal, you okay?" I turn and see her picking herself up.

"Yes, you?"

I nod, getting up with a bit difficulty from my throbbing leg and she helps me up. Either they will find us, or we'll starve to death in here. "On no," I mutter.

"What is it?"

"Pixal…I think we may have two options, both with consequences."

Chapter 15

The Wait

Pixal purses her lips, probably already knowing the end result of both. Death. The thought of us lying here until we become skeletons makes me shudder. "Well…I suppose we could wait while we figure a way out," she says.

"Good thinking," I respond, plopping down with my legs crossed, but instantly recoiling from the pain in my leg. I wince, holding both hands next to the jagged object.

"Zane, are you feeling okay?" Pixal inquires, getting on one knee and putting her hands on mine. I nod unconvincingly.

"Let me see it." She gently pries mine off and leans closer to my leg, examining the wound. She touches it gingerly, sending hot pain in the laceration and I flinch.

"We need to take it out," she announces.

My eyes widen. "No, if you remove it, I will bleed to death."

"No, you won't. Marcy built your human body over your original one with tissue and blood, but you'll make it. If you don't remove it, you'll get tetanus. Do you want to lose your leg or die?"

"No."

"Then let me remove this." I nod somewhat reluctantly. Pixal tears the jeans, expanding the hole around the metal object so she has room to work with it. It stings horribly as she touches it gingerly with a delicate hand.

She pulls a bit and I flinch, clutching tightly whatever is near me: her leg. She inches it out a bit farther and I gasp, seeing my world twist and blur. Splotches of black fill my vision as my wife sets a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Zane, it's okay. Just bear with it please. It will hurt a lot more if you leave it lodged in your leg."

"Why didn't you stop them?" Jane appears in front of me in a white room. I'm not in the hole anymore and Pixal and I are standing next to each other. The pain has vanished and my vision has cleared.

"My brother…he's hurt," Jane says and covers her face in her hands, sobbing. Blood appears on her blue nightgown she had been wearing the night she was murdered.

"Jane?" I call her name softly, reaching a hand out to touch her shoulder, but she quickly snaps her head up, brown eyes filled with rage.

"Now your wife will pay dearly for your mistakes!" I reach out to Pixal to touch her hand, yet she turns to look at me with teary, green eyes and vanishes.

"Pixal!" I yell, but my voice fails me. I drop to both knees, feeling all strength sapped from my body. "Please, spare her! Take me instead! Please!" I implore Jane.

"She shall _die_!"

Blackness. My eyes snap open and I scream. "Pixal!"

"It's alright, Zane," a gentle, white hand rests on my shoulder. I follow it, up a slender arm, to a shoulder, tracing back to my wife's lovely face. It was only a dream.

"Pixal?" I whisper, sitting up and throwing my arms around her.

I recoil. Big mistake. I glance down at my leg realizing I must have fallen unconscious and she removed the metal while I was out.

"Zane, are you okay, Honey?" she inquires, putting a hand against my back and pushing lightly on my chest with the other. I lay back down.

"Yes, it was only a nightmare." I gaze up at the stars and find I must have been unconscious for quite some time. Pixal had already bandaged my leg with part of her purple dress.

Crickets chirp while a chilly breeze blows up above and some down where we are. "Pixal?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever liked to gaze at the stars?" I ask.

"All the time. The Borg towers provides a nice view, yet here…it just is…different. The whole scene is rather peaceful, undisturbed."

"How about you?" Pixal asks.

"Yes, indeed it is tranquil," I respond as she lies down next to me. I smile and put an arm around her and gaze at the bright sliver of the moon.

"Zane?"

"Yes?"

"What do we do about tomorrow?"

"Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself."

I find my eyelids wandering shut and feel my wife's cold body snuggle closer to mine. _Everything's going to be okay. My brothers will find us. _A distant ringing reaches my ears, but soon is drowned out.

Kai:

"I better call Zane and find out what's going on," I say to Melissa and step out of our living room.

I dial my brother's number and it is answered on the first ring. "Hello, Zane?"

"It's Pixal. Listen, Zane and I are in trouble."

Several dozen thoughts flash through my mind and I press the record button on my phone. "What's the matter? If it's Jason, I'm going to kill him."

"No, Jason was shot."

"Good, and?"

"You remember when you told Zane about when you and Nya were picked up by a sadist you called Rigid?"

_ Strange. Why would she bring that up? _"I wouldn't ever forget. Why?"

"He caught us."

"That's impossible. How could you know that?" I say, though my stomach feels a bit uneasy.

"There was an inscription on the wall. Black Roses are not as Beautiful as Red Ones," she responds.

"No, Pixal. Are you _sure_?"

"I'm _positive_," she says.

My stomach now feels sick and I hope I don't throw up. _Why would he come for Zane and Pixal? Will he apprehend me, my wife? My kids? My sister? _"Pixal, are you both in a house?" I ask.

"No, we escaped." I put a hand to my mouth in relief. "But we're in a forest nearby with Harrison and a woman named Carmel coming after us. I think Zane shot Rigid, although I'm not certain it's him."

"Can you put Zane on the phone?"

There is silence on the other end. "Let me wake him up. He's been injured and might need a minute to be fully functioning."

"Is he okay?" I ask, concerned.

"For now. His leg was pierced by a sharp, metal object and he might get tetanus," she responds and there's a rustling sound.

"Where are you two exactly?"

"In a deep pit."

_This is not good. _"Can you get out?" I ask a question with an obvious answer.

"No. Here's Zane."

"Hello?" my brother's worn-out voice comes from the phone.

"Zane, it me, Kai. You feeling okay?"

"Tired, but otherwise, well."

"Listen," I say, "did the man you shot have a laceration scar on his right hand?"

A pause. _Please tell me no. Please tell me it's not him._

"Yes."

My heart sinks, but that doesn't mean it's him. "Does he have a red and black beard with a hook in it?" I ask.

"I think so."

"How tall is he?"

"Approximately six feet tall."

"No…it's _him_," I say, nearly dropping the phone in the process.

"Who?"

"Rigid." Silence.

"Zane, you there?"

"Kai, get the others and bring weapons. They're armed with guns and extremely dangerous."

"Okay, can you-what?" I say, gaping at the phone that just hung up.

I stop the recording and call him again. No response. I try several more times. Still none. I set the phone on the red, kitchen counter and re-enter the living room with heavy legs. Melissa is reading a novel having put the babies to bed a few minutes ago. I fall to my hands and knees on the red carpet, feeling queasy. _Why did he show up now? He isn't going to kill them, is he? Phone. Call the others now!_

I push myself back up as Melissa gets off the couch, setting her book on the brown, coffee table. "Kai, what's the matter?"

"I just called Zane. They've been caught by Rigid."

Melissa covers her mouth in horror and I turn away, bolting for the cell phone. I dial the house phone number of the Monastery. "This is the Garmadon's residence," Sensei Garmadon says.

"It's me Kai," I respond in a rushed voice. "Am I on speakerphone? Are the others around?"

"Hold on." I pace to the living room floor. "Go ahead, Kai."

"Zane and Pixal have been captured by someone I know."

Gasps come from the other end. "Are you with them?"

"No. I called him, but he battery went dead. They've been taken by a mad sadist who once held Nya and I captive."

"Kai, are you sure it's him?" Nya's anxious voice comes over the line.

"I'm sure, description, the sadist inscription, the scar are all his."

"Please, Kai. Don't mess with me, please," my sister sobs.

"I'm not!" I yell, causing Melissa to jump, "I would _never_ mess around with you about him! He's back and he's going to kill Zane and Pixal! He may even be after us!"

"Who is he?" Lloyd's voice sounds distant from the phone.

"Not right now, Lloyd," I say with a hint of a threat. The others begin talking loudly on the other end.

"Listen to me! They described their location and Zane said he needs us! Meet me up at my house." I hang up before anyone else can say something. I drop the phone on the rug, and put a hand to my sick stomach. The way he whipped and beat me, the way he dug his filthy hands and nails into my flesh while my eleven-year-old sister watched helplessly: it's nauseating. It's inhumane.

"Kai, you okay?" Melissa asks, putting a hand against my back.

I nod and she hugs me from behind, leaning on me, her soft, golden hair brushing against my neck. I fight the anger mixed with tears and turn around, embracing her back. "Melissa," I say, "I need to leave to save Zane and Pixal when the others get here, okay?"

"Okay, be careful, Kai," she responds and presses her moist lips to mine.

I return the kiss. I feel a little better for some reason, despite the situation and the nausea. I grab her slim waist with both hands, and she opens her mouth. I open mine and slip my tongue into hers, feeling her warm mouth. Her tongue touches and that's when it all turns bad.

My stomach twists horribly and I pull away running to the bathroom. I practically throw the door open, get on my knees, and let the bitter stuff force itself up my throat, into my mouth, into the porcelain throne. I puke several more times before I look at it with a metallic taste in my mouth. Blood. _Poison? Am I having a relapse?_

Zane:

"The battery's dead," I inform my wife and smack a mosquito who had attempted to make a meal out of me.

"No," she puts her head in her hands and I wrap an arm around her.

"It's okay, Pixal. It's okay, dear," I reassure her. She turns around and hugs me tightly, her fingers closing around my chest with vice-like grips.

"I'm afraid, Zane. What if we don't make it?" I gently pat her silver hair.

"We will, sweetie. We will."

"How can you be so sure?"

"My brothers and I have saved each other numerous times and we've always found each other…no matter what. Now, all we need to do it wait."

"Alright, Zane. Get some sleep, sweetie."

"May I have a kiss from this beautiful, young lady first?" I ask, gaining a sheepish grin from my wife. Pixal blushes and gives me a little peck on my cheek.

We cuddle together, our bodies against each other, and she traces a finger on my chest. Again, my heart starts pounding like a hammer, but the moment is interrupted by a bark somewhere above us. No, it's not a bark. A howl. My blood chills at the realization of what's out there. Wolves.

"Pixal, where's that thing from my leg?" I ask calmly, hoping she's not too alarmed.

"Here," she hands it to me. "They probably won't come here."

"No, they will."

"Why?" she asks, her eyes widening.

"They smell my blood."

Chapter 16

Relapse and the Drive

Kai:

I get up, washing my hands and face in the sink. I lean over, letting the water run for a while, just so Melissa doesn't see how bad it is. It's…horrible.

_Am I really going to die, or is this some life-long disease? No, don't think about it now. Just focus on finding Zane and Pixal before it's too late._

I note my unusually pale face and lips without any color. I hope no one's going to notice, because all four of us need to look for the two.

I turn the knob so the water stops flowing and open the door, entering the living room where my brothers and sister are already gathered. Sensei Wu and Garmadon are present as well.

"Kai, you don't look too good. Are you feeling okay?" Melissa asks, slipping her slim hand in mine.

I sigh inwardly. "Yes."

The others give me an unconvinced look. I habitually wipe my mouth and nearly start at the sight of blood, but quickly regain my composure.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Jay inquires.

I wave it off. "Yeah, seriously, I'm fine. Now, Zane and Pixal's location is a bit far away, and only Nya knows how to get there."

All eyes fall on my sister. Her hands are holding her baby and she seems quite afraid, trembling for the first time in a while. Jay puts a hand on her shoulder and gives her a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry, Nya, but at the time I was unconscious so I don't know how to get there," I apologize, staring at the carpet.

"It's not your fault," she says not too reassuringly, but still sounds a bit understanding in a sense. "I'll direct you guys."

"You will?" I ask, looking up hopefully.

"Of course I will. Zane and Pixal are in danger and I can't just keep away from the past, brother."

"Then Marcy, could you watch Emma for us?" Jay requests.

"Certainly," the older lady replies, holding her arms out as Nya hands her the chubby, little ball of joy.

I smile. My niece is so cute. Interesting that my younger sister had a kid first, and married Jay.

He's a pretty good husband, but he's a little on the squirrely side and a bit immature. He's improved under my watchful eyes after several months of…confrontations.

I hope Zane and Pixal are doing well. I head there are wolves in that area…and Zane is injured. They'll go after blood.

"Kai? Kai, are you in there?" Melissa waves a hand in front of me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Uh...yeah?"

"Are you going to sit down, Honey?" she asks, twirling a bit of blond hair in her fingers.

"Oh, yeah," I say, hastily sitting, but find myself I meeting the carpet and hard floor beneath it.

Silence. If everything had been normal everyone would have burst out laughing at me. I pick myself and sit on the loveseat, a bit embarrassed at the fact that I am being clumsy at such a crucial time.

"We better pack some camping equipment and survival gear just in case," Lloyd announces.

We all agree and pack the stuff, me being fond of such things that I store in our garage. Marcy agrees to remain behind with Melissa, Emma, and the twins. The boys and I stuff the gear in my Hover Dodge Ram; then we bid the girls and babies farewell. While doing so I pinched a half-empty bottle of pills from the kitchen cabinet for my problem and got a few capsules of charcoal for the poison.

We get in the truck. I sit by myself in the corner of the trunk, hoping the boys will ignore me. Cole is driving and Lloyd is next to him in the front while Jay sits closer in the back to where they are. Nya took her hover car and is driving in front of us. I hug my knees to my chest, my stomach sick from the driving and the relapse.

Jay scoots next to me after two and half hours and I turn away from him, rolling my eyes. _Just great!_

"Hey, Kai," he says.

"Hey," I mumble, hoping he with hush up soon. That's highly doubtful though.

"You want to play 'Twenty Questions'?" he asks.

"Oh no," I mutter. "No, not now Jay."

"Why?"

I usually catch on fire when flared up by his annoying ways, but now I feel cold, so cold and alone. I miss my parents a lot. I turn further away from him, shutting my eyes and leaning my head against the trunk. Jay nudges me.

"Hey, are you feeling okay?" Jay asks.

"No," I respond coldly.

"Do you have a fever?" he inquires and puts a hand on my forehead. I push him off me, nettled by his inquisitiveness.

"Just leave me alone. I'm car sick, okay?" I snap at him.

"Sorry! Do you need Cole to stop the car?"

"No! Just go away!" I yell.

"Hey, everything okay back there?" Lloyd's voice sounds a bit concerned. I open my eyes, staring at the asphalt below.

"Yeah, it's just that Mister Grumpy Pants is car sick," Jay calls back.

"Do need us to stop?" Cole shouts. I roll my eyes, but feel my stomach telling me otherwise.

No matter how much I hate to admit it, I better stop before everyone finds out and takes me back home. I could also get an opportunity for a pill or two perhaps. I nod. "He said 'yes'!" Jay yells.

The truck pulls over onto the side of the road where lots of bushes lay. I get out of the truck, my leg nearly asleep from the drive, and slip into the bushes. Once I'm certain no one is around, I pop two pills in my mouth and swallow. I choke on the second one. I puke a few times too and am about to turn back to the vehicle when the bushes behind rustle. I freeze. Something snarls that makes my hair stand on edge.

Chapter 17

Grey Friends

A shaggy, grey furred tail protruding from a thick cluster of bushes swishes back and forth only five feet away from me. I remain motionless, barely breathing as I wait. My hand rests on the concealed gun behind my back, and I slowly begin drawing it out.

"Hey, Kai! You coming or what? We might leave you here, dude!" Cole yells.

_Dang it! _I pull my weapon out as the tail disappears in the bushes and a wolf lunges out at me, claws extended. I fire. Missed. Its heavy weight is on my chest, pushing me to the leafy ground and I drop the gun.

"Kai, are you okay?" Lloyd calls.

"I could use a little help here!" I shout and roll to the right, narrowly avoiding the wolf's fangs that are aimed for my jugular.

I grab the gun and fire, hitting its underbelly and shoot its head. The animal drops dead.

"Kai, you can't kill an endangered animal!" Jay's voice comes behind me.

"Jay, that's not the point right now," Nya says.

"It's not dead," I mumble, pushing the mass of fur off me and I stand up, holstering my gun. "Call the animal rescue." I walk past them and get back in the trunk.

I can hear Jay dialing and Nya comes up to me. "Are you hurt?" she inquires.

"No, let's just keep going," I say, turning away from her. After five minutes of Jay trying to tell the dummy on the phone where we are, the guys get back in and we resume the mundane drive.

Unfortunately, it's contains more than a bit angst for me because I feel like puking the entire trip. I manage though. Despite the fact that Jay is running his motor mouth the entire time, things seem pretty peaceful here. I zone out of my brother's annoying as well as non-amusing stories and jokes.

We keep driving for five more hours until I'm going crazy with mosquitoes and no-see-ums biting me at every opportunity. Cole finally stops the truck in front of a black cottage with a red roof.

"So, I said to the man 'I'll take care of the problem all right' and he gets really mad and-" Jay stops blabbering upon sight of the miserable, old building.

"Boy, that's one creepy house!" he yells, abruptly standing up.

I instantly cover his mouth and push him back down. "What are you doing?" I whisper fiercely in his ear, "You're going to get Zane, Pixal, and all of us killed with that mouth of yours!"

I catch a muffled 'sorry' and let go of him; now to search for my brother and future sister-in-law. I know you're out there.

Zane:

TWO DAYS LATER: 3:35 A.M.

"Are they near?" Pixal whispers in my ear. "I wish I could help get us out, but my hook has jammed."

"It's okay, dear. It's not your fault," I respond in a worn-out voice and lick my parched lips. A howl is close off to our left. I cover her mouth with a clammy, trembling hand and tighten my grip on my weapon. We've been fending off the wolves for quite some time and I don't know how we can keep up at all.

I can hear a soft rumble not too far away and artificial beam appears above us emanating from a flashlight. I shield my eyes for a moment and a rope is thrown down the hole. I don't think this is wise, but with the wolves around, I'm not taking any chances of being unable to get my wife out of here.

"Pixal, you go up first," I say, ushering her forward with a gentle nudge.

I pick her up as high as possible to give her a boost up. She grabs the rope and begins to climb with her feet against the wall, with quite a bit of ease. Afterwards I hear a slight gasp and a whisper I cannot make out.

"Is everything okay? Pixal?"

"Y-yes. Zane, you need to hurry up."

I follow suit. Something in her voice doesn't sound right at all, but there's no time for that. My leg feels like its on fire and it hurts whenever I apply pressure or weight to it, slowing me down. I'm only halfway through, yet I involuntarily let go.

My back hits the dirt hard, and I cough from the impact before forcing my tearing, weary legs to keep moving. My wound's infected, which makes things far worse, but I manage to climb almost to the top before it gives me more trouble.

I'm also weak from not eating or drinking for two days and this morning. My fingers tremble violently and threaten to let go when a strong a pair of hands grips my right arm, lifting me up out of the blasted hole.

I get up and instantly realize Pixal and I should have remained in the pit. Harrison. I look behind him and see my wife being shoved into the SUV. I wrench my hand away, but he grabs me and shoves me in the back next to her. "Pixal, are you hurt?" I ask anxiously.

"Yes, and are you feeling any better?" my wife inquires, putting a hand on mine.

"Just a little dizzy is all and my leg isn't too good," I respond, making me sound nonchalant, but she looks very concerned.

Carmel is behind the wheel of the vehicle and Harrison climbs in the back with ropes. He binds us with our hands in front and then shuts the door as a wolf slams into the front windshield.

"Drive, now!" Harrison shouts.

The SUV starts and Carmel drives horribly, enough to make my stomach churn. Pixal grabs my arm tightly the entire way until we screech to a halt in front of the dreadful cottage. My heart sinks.

_This place is so remote that how can Kai or the others find us now? We're going to perish here. No! I can't give up. Pixal needs to survive, even if I don't._

Harrison opens the door and yanks us both out of the car. I force my legs to move toward the cottage, yet everything is disoriented to me. I watch my feet on asphalt, grass, dirt, cement, tile, and now we stop at concrete painted black. I look up.

I grab Pixal and pull her behind me, and gaze at the two posts in the back corners of the red room. To my right is a wooden rack with various sharp objects and weapons. In front of us is a bucket of water, and beyond it is a table with leather restraints. To my left is a plain, white bed.

No. On it is someone who deserves to die, but someone who's a witness. Jason. I hold my breath as I am pushed forward and wind up on my knees.

I turn around. "Pixal! Don't harm her or I swear I'll-"

"This is for you, not her," Harrison says, locking the door and pocketing the key in his drab coat.

He ambles to the weapon rack as Carmel grabs my shoulders. I'm too weak to resist and simply watch him take a whip from the rack. He cracks it and grabs me, tossing me onto the bed like a rag doll. My eyes widen as this scene from so when I was thirteen comes to life.

FLASHBACK:

"Zane, get that useless butt of yours in the room, now," Jason sternly demand in a whisper and turns around to smile at Jane and Grandmother. "I'm taking Zane to wash the clothes, okay?"

"Sure, were leaving anyway," Jane says and heads out the door.

I limp into the dreadful room and stand with my back to the bed, my hands into fists at my sides. I hate him. I hate him because he's a liar, a killer, and a child abuser. Jason shuts the door, sets a bucket of water down, and shoves me onto the bed.

I try not to cry or scream as he grabs leg and squeezes the wound. It hurts a lot. He lets go and slips a hand under the bed, producing a whip that he cracks. I scream and he covers my mouth, pushing my head down, hard; then grabs me by my hair, yanking me to my feet. He turns me around as I punch and kick him futilely, and dunks my head under the cold water in the bucket.

Chapter 18

The Torture

My failing arms find and grab Jason's hands, striving to wrench him off as my lungs beg for air. I open my mouth, screaming and water fills my throat. I choke. It hurts a lot and I can taste the musty liquid that probably came from that filthy lake.

END OF FLASHBACK

"You must know how this scene goes, Zane Julien," Harrison smiles, grabbing the plastic, blue bucket and approaching me.

I try to get up, but I collapse from the starvation taking its toll, and simply stare at the water. Perhaps I could drink it when he dunks my head in.

"No!" Pixal wails, tears streaking her lovely face and Carmel holds down her arms.

"It's okay, don't cry," I tell her, knowing I won't be.

I have to remain strong for her, and for my brothers. Harrison grabs my blond hair and shoves my head into the water. I let him and instantly realize this is undrinkable just like the other one; then start to struggle, my bound arms flailing.

He pushes my head down further, where I can make out dirt dispersing throughout the water. I stop, waiting for him to pull me out and the dispersed soil settles on the bottom of bucket.

My lungs are bursting and my chest feels like it's going to explode. I open my mouth, bubbles floating from my gasps.

I swallow some of it and choke violently as my head is yanked out of the watery grave. It tastes musty.

Air, the sweet air I have taken for granted, fills my deprived lungs. A woman's cries filter through my wet ears while I gag on the water and spit some out.

"No! Please, stop hurting him! Zane, no!" Pixal screams. I turn my head and see my poor wife, trying to wrench away from Harrison's accomplice.

"Pixal, it's alright. It's alright," I say, attempting to calm her down.

It's futile. She's crying hysterically and it pains me to see her this way.

"Let her go," I demand, turning to Harrison, still on my aching knees.

He chuckles sadistically and cracks the whip, producing a sharp, dreadful sound that echoes throughout the large room.

"Pixal, It'll be fine. This has happened to me before. It's nothing new."

Harrison grabs me by my arm and drags me to my feet, pushing me toward the left post at the far end of the room. I intentionally make my legs collapse beneath me and I hit the floor face down; then feel me being brought back up by my captor.

"Zane!" Pixal yells and I hear this blunt noise. Silence. I whip my head around and see my wife is unconscious on the floor by Carmel's black boots.

_No one hurts Pixal! _

I wait as Harrison unbinds my hands and then pivot on a heel. I grab the back of his neck with both hands, pulling his head forward into my left knee. I go to sweep him and he does the same, causing us to clash. I fall on my back and he lunges at me as I attempt to get up. I'm not fast enough.

He lands a blow to my head and swings his fist for another one. I put my hands up to block them and push my feet against his waist to keep him from getting to close. I kick his shin, but it doesn't faze him and he keeps trying to move forward. He finally moves away, and his leg is raised as I back up. It lands between my legs.

That's it. I'm out. I roll over, gasping and pain is all I can think about right now. I feel another kick to my ribs this time and another in the previous place. I can hear scuffling and put my hands where it hurts and feel it's all wet with blood.

I shut my eyes as Harrison comes back and I hear the familiar crack of the whip. I open my eyes at the last second and see it coming down at my face.

Searing, hot pain goes through my face and down my chest from the little, sharp ends that imbed themselves deeply into my flesh. He yanks the dreadful weapon out and lashes me again, on my legs this time, and I habitually put up my forearm for the next blow. It strikes and I can't feel anything anymore.

I look up to find he is not here anymore. Pixal isn't either, nor is Carmel. I stand up in full-fledged panic, but realize there's no more pain or blood.

I turn to my right and see my father looking at me with sadness in his icy, blue eyes. "Father?"

"My son," he says and approaches me and I do likewise until we are face-to-face. He sets a hand on my shoulder with a gentle, yet solemn smile on his aged face. "The next few weeks are going to be hard for you, Zane. You will suffer many hardships and so will your wife. Don't worry, your brothers will find you."

Father vanishes. I blink and now I'm in a forest, sitting on the edge of a truck's trunk. In front of me Kai is speaking to Jay, or more like shouting. "What the heck was that for? You revealed our location and now what do we do!"

"I'm sorry! By the time you told me, it was already too late! If I had known there were wolves I wouldn't have!" Jay shouts back.

"Goodness Gracious! Did you seriously think I told you to stay put for nothing? Look at what happened to Lloyd!" Kai points to me.

"I didn't mean to!" Jay protests.

Kai throws his hands up in frustration and stalks off the side of the road, disappearing through a group of trees.

I jump off the truck without trying. "Kai, where are you going?" I ask, but my voice is Lloyd's and I feel this sharp pain in my abdomen.

Nya puts a hand on my shoulder. "Lloyd, be careful. You're not well enough to move around yet."

"Hands off me," I say, shoving her away and follow Kai as stealthily as possible.

I must be seeing and hearing everything from Lloyd's eyes and ears. I walk through a cluster of bushes and see the red figure stooping over not ten feet away. I duck behind a tree without trying and peer around it. Kai is vomiting blood. _Is this really happening or is it a dream?_

_ "Zane?" Lloyd's voice appears in my head._

_ I try to respond, but I cannot and merely wait._

_ "I know you can hear me. Listen, I have a device on me that'll transmit our signal to you and allows you to see and hear everything I do, but only when you're unconscious. Find our location."_

Now I see Lloyd or myself glancing down. There's blood on his stomach and claw marks on his gi.

I look up to find water being thrown on me and suddenly, the scene melts away to Harrison in front of me, throwing an empty, blue bucket down on the floor. My wrists and arms ache with a dull throb and I find them both cuffed on either side of me, my body spread eagle to a torture post. The man is holding a metal rod.

"I'll see you in a few hours for questioning, robot," Harrison spits on the floor and turns to leave.

He suddenly whirls around and slams the rod between my legs again. I double over in pain. He chuckles and departs, shutting the door and locking it with a click, sealing my long imprisonment.

I gasp, and look over to where Pixal lays, still unconscious. She moans and lifts her head before standing up wildly. "Zane?"

"Pixal," I call her. She turns around and her mouth drops agape at the sight of me; then immediately runs up to me.

She glances down my entire body in horror. "What did he do to you?"

"I don't really want to talk about it." I wince afterwards, hoping I didn't offend her, but also because of the pain. "Pixal, I'm sorry."

"Why would you be sorry?"

"If it weren't for me bringing you to that restaurant, you would have been safe."

She caresses my cheek with a tear slipping down hers. I wish I could comfort her, but the restrains won't allow it.

"No, it was my decision. How could he have done this to you? You're bleeding…everywhere."

"It's okay. I was unconscious most of the time."

"No, it's not okay! You're hurt badly!" I look at her, surprised at her sudden outburst, but she looks rather anxious.

"I am. I've had it worse, dear." I smile in an attempt to lighten the mood, yet she won't have any of it.

"I need to treat your wounds."

"With what?" I ask.

We both glance down at my feet and see a first aid kit on the floor. _Why would he do this? Perhaps he wishes for my wife to keep me alive._

Pixal grabs it, getting on her knees and opens it, and rummaging through its contents. "I'll need to treat them, but there's not much and no spare shirt or anything for you after I finish, so I'll have to use my dress."

Chapter 19

A Road of Pain

After lots of work on Pixal's side, and intense pain on mine, she had successfully cleaned and bound all the lash wounds with more than a bit of trouble from me.

The wounds caused from the metal rod couldn't be helped much, besides that she had disinfectant.

She had bandaged the lacerations with part of her purple dress. I'm positive Harrison continued beating me while I was unconscious and I can't believe I hadn't passed out it hurt so much.

There's a bottle of water and a bowl of soup not too far away. It way be poisoned, but I'm so thirsty that I don't care.

Pixal notices me staring at it and grabs the bottle, undoing the lid, dropping it on the floor, and putting it up to my parched lips.

I eagerly wait as she tilts it and gulp as much water down as possible. She eventually takes it away and goes to the bowl.

She uses a spoon to get some and brings it up to my lips as well. I smile before sipping it gratefully. She starts to put more in it.

"What about you?" I ask.

"I don't need any to sustain myself," she says, giving me more. For a while, we both are silent, and she continues feeding me.

When it's finished, she sets it down and wipes my mouth with her hand. My arms ache and feel like they're tearing.

"Thank you, dear."

"No need to, sweetie," she smiles grimly.

Pixal puts everything away and pushes the kit aside; then stands in front of me. I wish you didn't have to be chained like that and could rest. I smile faintly. "As long as you're here, I don't mind," I tell her.

My wife steps closer to me until our chilled noses are touching one another's and she embraces me under my spread out, aching arms, her pressing her cold body against my warm one. I would hug her back if I could, and right now I have a strong urge to do so.

"Zane, Honey?"

"Yes?"

"I'm afraid," she says, leaning her head on my shoulder.

"Of what, sweetie?" I ask, though the answer is obvious.

"Of losing you, of remaining here for the rest of our lives, of never seeing Mr. Borg again."

"Pixal," I call her again.

"Yes?" she responds, letting go of me and grabbing my cheeks. Her neon, green eyes stare directly into my icy, blue ones.

"We will make it out," I reassure her and lower my voice, "The others are searching for us in the forest nearby."

"What? How did you know that?"

"Lloyd can contact me whenever I'm unconscious."

"I wouldn't have believed that if it weren't for the fact that you said that, but I do. Thank you, Zane."

She leans in and closes the gap between us, her moist lips pressing against mine. I can never like it more, the taste of mint touching my tongue.

It feels…good. I cannot think of how to describe it in words, how much it comforts me. Pixal pulls away after a few minutes and I regain my breath.

"How are you feeling?" she inquires.

"Terrible," I state blandly, hoping for another kiss.

My lovely wife runs a gentle hand through my blond hair and gives me a peck on the forehead. "Now are you feeling better?"

I smile sadly and nod. I wish she would be far away from here, safe, and happy without having to care for me. If I hadn't brought her, she would be well off now.

"Go to sleep if you can, Honey," Pixal pop kisses my cheek and sits down cross-legged.

I shut my eyes and almost instantly feel my thoughts being drowned out by a forest. I'm Lloyd again and he's sitting down in front of a campfire, tossing a few twigs aimlessly in it. He starts.

_"I see you're asleep again, or knocked out. I hope it's the former, brother. If you can hear me, just know that we've found the pit you and Pixal were in and are going to follow car tracks to find you two tomorrow."_

Lloyd groans and puts a hand on his stomach. I can feel the pain he is in, and everything else he feels.

"You okay there, Lloyd?" Cole asks, setting a water bottle down that he had been drinking from.

"Yeah, it's just my stomach…I really hate stitches, you know that? Was that really necessary?"

"Do you want bile to spill out of your stomach and kill you?" Kai quirks a brow and stands up.

"No…where are you going?" Lloyd inquires.

"I think I dropped my knife back there," the fire ninja points to another cluster of trees to his left and our right, him sitting across from us.

"Um…okay," Lloyd says and sits down.

Kai ambles away and my brother that I'm sensing everything through fidgets with his gloves pulling one off to look at a scar on his palm.

"I'm…uh…going to use…the bathroom," Lloyd announces and walks away from Jay, Nya, and Cole, who are having a discussion of what to do next.

_"Yeah…so, I'm not really using the bathroom, so don't worry…uh Zane. I'm just a bit suspicious at the fact that Kai is excusing himself every ten minutes or so."_

Lloyd keeps moving for a few more seconds in silence.

"Zane! No! Do not hurt him!" Pixal's voice interrupts something Lloyd says and now I'm in the concrete room again.

I sense something hot and twist my head around to see red polished fingernails holding a hot iron, slowly closing the gap between the tool and me.

Chapter 20

A Futile Effort

"What are you doing?" I demand frantically.

"Questioning you," Carmel says, adjusting her black bracelet, with silver spikes protruding from it and pushes a few stray, blond hairs back. I glance around and find Pixal is absent.

"Where is she?" I shout.

"Don't worry, she's in the car so she won't get in the way. We're moving after this."

"What do you want?" I ask.

"Answers. Why were you in that cave six years ago?"

It should be safe to tell her such a minor detail. "Your hit-man kidnapped me. I was in an alley, waiting for Jason to get me."

"What do you know about the golden weapons?"

"What? I've never heard of them before," I respond desperately, hoping I sounded truthful enough.

"Liar. You're the Ninja of Ice, caretaker of one of the four golden weapons." She shoves the hot iron mere inches away from my face.

"I guess you haven't been around here recently. I _was _the caretaker of the weapons. However, I destroyed all of them not too long ago," I say tentatively, eyeing the hot iron.

"Foolish ninja," she mutters and thrusts it at my chest.

It burns and I scream in sheer agony, not even attempting to hold it in. Being lashed is one thing; being burned is another form of pain, another form of torture; another form of inhumanity.

She pulls it away, tearing part of my hot skin with the iron, and I gasp, letting my head hang down in relief. My flesh smells foul and it hurts enough I cannot find anything else to say, but something that will enrage my captor.

"No mortal can hold all four of the weapons at once." Carmel shoves the iron in a bowl of hot coals and crosses her arms, letting her black sleeves fall down a bit more.

"I'm not a mortal!" I screech, unable to hold in my burning rage any longer. "I did die in a sense. I blew up! There was nothing left but a piece of my face for my beloved family to bury!"

She uncrosses her arms, looking rather surprised at my sudden outburst. "Then how come you're here?" she asks, sounding a bit skeptical.

"I came back to life! I am a robot!" I yell, feeling this boiling sensation in the pit of my stomach.

"Nonsense. You have blood."

"Cut my wrist," I say, staring straight into her auburn eyes.

"What?"

"Cut it!" I shout, making her start. Marcy had told me that she kept my wrists the way they were and they would only seem more human.

Carmel pulls a knife out of the back of her jeans and slits it. It stings a bit, but no blood comes out. I glance down and see a few wires and gears are exposed and look back up at her.

"How did you destroy them?"

"The Overlord made them into armor and I touched it until my heart stopped," I say, feeling a bit calmer and sadder at the thought.

The only door in the room is practically thrown open and Harrison pokes his head through the opening. "Carmel! We need to leave, now!"

"What about Zane?"

Harrison rushes in and pulls a key out of his pocket; then unlocks my cuffs. They feel raw and I moan as my legs give in. Harrison stops my fall and puts me on him in a piggyback manner.

No P.O.V.

"Kai," Lloyd calls his sick brother from behind a tree.

The fire ninja straightens up and turns to see him. "W-what is it, Lloyd?" he inquires in a panicky voice, his dark eyes wide. Silence.

"Are you still poisoned?" Lloyd ventures to ask.

"W-what? Wait, no. Why would you think so?"

"Kai, don't give me that. I want the truth."

For a moment the fire ninja, anxious to evade a confrontation, simply stares at his younger brother. He sighs. He doesn't like lying and decides to give in before any more trouble is caused.

"Yes, Lloyd. I'm having a relapse."

"You…you are?" the green ninja says, quite taken aback.

"Please don't tell the others," Kai says.

"No way. Sorry, but you need to go to the hospital," Lloyd responds and turns around to leave.

"Wait!" Kai calls him.

The green ninja halts. "What?"

"You'll waste time if you send me alone. We need to find Zane and Pixal before it's too late. That's why I came."

"No, we need you alive too. One of us can take you to the emergency room while the rest of us will keep looking."

Lloyd resumes stalking back toward the truck, but Kai grabs his arm. He wrenches away as the fire ninja turns him around and holds onto his shoulders.

"You can't do this. I'm the witness and I know how horrible this man is. My sister cannot do this alone, please!"

Lloyd pulls away and starts going back. "You're no better than your father!" Kai yells, boiling with rage.

Lloyd turns around and punches him in the jaw, hard enough to knock him onto the ground. "I am _not_ like him! I never was and I never will be! My father is good now, but he once abandoned his family! _I'm _not going to do that!"

Kai gets up and the former grabs his gi, pulling him only inches away from his face. "I'm sorry, but this is for your own good."

"Hey, guys!" Cole yells from the truck, "You need to get over here now! We found where Zane and Pixal are!"

"What?" Kai and Lloyd exclaim in unison.

"We'll talk about this later," the green ninja says, letting his brother go. Both ninja make it to the truck and see Jay, Cole, and Nya huddling over a phone.

"Well?" Kai asks impatiently.

"The kidnappers sent us a video," Jay responds, handing the phone to him.

Zane's arms are chained to the posts and spread out and his head is hanging down, limp. He's unconscious and Harrison steps in front, looking directly at the camera.

"He is going to confess. I'll break him, but first, I have an important message for Kai and Nya."

"Oh. My. Overlord," Lloyd gasps.

Harrison turns around and slams a metal rod into Zane's rib cage. His body shakes from the impact, yet he doesn't stir at all, increasing everyone's concern.

Kai turns away for a moment, his face paler than before and Lloyd holds a hand to his mouth. There are purple and blue bruises covering his body and there's blood all over his bare chest, arms, and jeans.

"If you two do not drive to Jamanukai Village and get to the tea house by November 12, Zane and Pixal shall perish will great amounts of pain. We'll see you two soon."

The video ends and the others exchange looks. "No…Kai. We need to go," Nya says.

"But what about them?" Kai asks, pointing at the others.

"We'll get another vehicle and catch up to you soon," Jay informs him.

"Okay, see you guys," Kai says and gets in the driver's side. "Come on sis."

Nya gives Jay a kiss and gets in the passenger's side. She shuts the door and they take off. The phone rings and Kai pulls it out of his pocket, answering immediately. "Hello?"

"Kai, it's Melissa," his wife says.

His grip on the steering wheel loosens and he breathes a sigh of relief. "Hi, Honey."

"Did you find them?"

"Yes, and no. They've been kidnapped and Nya and I are on our way to Jamanukai Village according to their instructions. I might not be home in a while, babe. I'm sorry for leaving you to take care of our children alone."

"No, I'm not alone, sweetie. Marcy and Misako are helping me."

"Well, that's good to know. How are they?"

"Jill is trying to talk," Melissa responds, sounding quite elated.

"Really? She's less than a month old!" Kai exclaims.

"Jack's calling me, babe. Sorry, but duty calls. I love you."

"I love you too." She hangs up and Kai shoves his phone in his pocket; then puts his hand back on the wheel, concentrating on the road.

"Was that Melissa?" Nya inquires.

"Yeah, it was."

"Hey, are you feeling okay?"

"Yes, why are you asking me that?" Kai replies nervously.

"You're so pale and your sweating profusely," Nya says and touches his soaked forehead. "You're burning up too."

"I'm fine," he shies her hand away playfully to throw suspicion off him; then turns more serious. "It's just that Zane…is going through a lot."

"Yeah, he didn't even twitch when he was beaten. He was almost like a…never mind," Nya says, shuddering at the thought.

"Did you see how bad he looked?" Though Kai doesn't want to admit it, he's afraid for him and for Pixal.

"Don't remind me."

They drive on for a while in silence before the samurai decides to break the heavy silence. "Emma's almost a year old."

"Already?" Kai exclaims. "Boy, time does fly by, doesn't it?"

"It does. I have something to tell you."

"What's that, sis?"

"Your wish is coming true," she blushes, turning to face her window.

"Oh, which one?"

"Do you remember when you told me you wanted several nieces and nephews?"

"Yeah, wait! Are you implying?" Kai's brown eyes widen at the thought.

"Mm hm. I'm pregnant," she responds, putting a hand on her still small stomach.

"But you shouldn't be here then."

"I promise I won't get in the way, Kai. I'll look after my baby."

"But…okay. Make sure your child is safe first if something happens."

"I will," Nya says.

"Zane Honey, how are you feeling?" Pixal inquires, hugging him closer to her in the cramped up trunk.

He pants from the heat and having lain in here for several hours. "Hot and sore, but otherwise, okay."

"How is that okay?"

"If you want to put it that way, could be better."

Pixal squirms around with her hands bound in front of her and touches his chest, where the burn is. "Ah! Zane screams in pain and flinches.

"What? Are you okay?"

"She burned me."

"Carmel?" He nods.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Pixal asks, holding back tears and opening a water bottle that Harrison had thrown in with them.

"I don't want to worry you."

Pixal bites her lip and turns on her glowing light from her eyes; then gasps at the burned flesh.

"Zane…it must really hurt."

She pours a bit of water on the injury and Zane clutches whatever he can find first to keep from screaming at the hot pain. He grabs her arm and squeezes tightly enough it pains her, both physically and emotionally. She caps the bottle and sets it down.

She caresses his cheek, hoping to soothe him a bit, although it doesn't help him much. He's deteriorating quickly and soon enough, he might…no way. There is no chance that she will keep sitting by and watching him suffer like that.

"Zane?"

"Yes?"

"How many kids do you want?" Pixal asks, crying silently.

"Two or three."

"Me too. I hope we can and can live with them happily for the rest of our lives together."

"Why are you talking about this all of a sudden?" Zane inquires, and gasps again.

She squeezes his hand. "I just wanted to distract you from the pain."

Zane smiles. "I'm glad I married you."

"Me too."

"Let's try to escape from the trunk," he whispers.

"Will it work?"

"We'll find out soon."

Chapter 21

The Traveling Chaos

"Dang it!" Cole hisses at the sight of where Zane was not twenty-four hours ago. He's absent of course and there are so many horrible signs of what happened.

"Can he survive with that much blood loss?" Lloyd asks, picking himself up from having slipped in a sticky puddle of it.

"Gross!" Jay exclaims and bolts out of the room.

The two roll their eyes, despite the fact that their brother is right. It's disgusting that a human would do that to him.

There's a bloody whip and metal rod on the floor as well as an iron in a bowl of coals that have gone cold. "It looks like they left a while ago," Lloyd speculates, poking at one of the coals. "What do we do?"

"Head straight for the village. That is, once Jay recovers a bit."

Jay slumps against the door outside of the dreadful room, putting his head in his trembling hands. _Who knows what they did to him? He must have hurt a lot. Why did they need to do that to him?_

He stands up and breathes deeply a few times to calm himself down. He decides to walk toward the car, but halts. He lifts his left sneaker and sees he stepped on something on the floor and picks it up.

It's a piece of paper. He unfolds it, discovering there are two of them, exactly the same except for the signature on the bottom.

Zane and Pixal had each signed one of them and after a bit of examining Jay starts to cry. The door opens and his brothers put a hand on either of his shoulders.

"What's the matter?" Lloyd asks.

Jay hands the papers to them.

"What?" Cole exclaims.

"They got married?" Lloyd yelps a little loudly.

"Then why are you crying?" Cole inquires.

"Because that means only one thing," Jay says, causing the other two to exchange glances, "The situation is worse than we thought."

"How do you know that?" Lloyd asks.

"They're getting married because they're afraid they'll never have another chance," Jay responds.

The others are quite taken aback that Jay, of all people, figured that out. Lloyd suddenly drops on his hands and knees, and holds a hand to his stomach. He groans.

"Lloyd, are you okay?" Cole asks.

"Is it your stomach?" Jay inquires.

"Yeah…it's…worse…than before," Lloyd sucks in a deep breath and stands up with Jay and Cole's help. "I'm worried about Kai too."

"Why?" Jay says.

"Kai, I think we're going the wrong way," Nya informs her frustrated brother.

"Yeah, I know that. You've said it fifty times already."

"Excuse me! You don't need to be ugly about it!"

"Sorry! I'm just frustrated is all," Kai grips the steering wheel tightly and lowers his voice, "I'm sorry. I don't know what's gotten into me lately."

"It's okay. I understand," Nya gently pats him on the back.

"Thank you, but no, you don't," he mutters inaudibly.

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm just not feeling well," he admits.

"Do you want me to drive?"

"No, later, but thanks."

Nya simply stares worriedly at him, and turns to face the window again. The phone rings. Kai eagerly answers it, but his face falls.

"Yeah?"

"Kai, did you take any medicine with you?" Lloyd inquires.

"Yes."

"What kind?"

"Not now, please."

"Kai, the others know already. We're counting on you, brother."

"Oh, and please take care of yourself," Jay voice sounds a bit away. "Nya needs you and so do Zane and Pixal."

"Okay, I'll let you all know if anything comes up," Kai says.

"Jay found something interesting at the place where Zane was…um," Lloyd hesitates.

"Yes?"

"He married Pixal."

"He what?"

"Be safe," Cole tells him and Lloyd hangs up. Before the fire ninja can continue speaking, his phone rings again and he answers with an unknown caller.

"This is Kai Huo speaking. Please identify yourself."

"This is Zane Julien," the ice ninja responds in a scratchy voice.

"Zane?" Kai exclaims and Nya looks at him with wide, hopeful eyes.

"Where are you?" the fire ninja asks.

"N-Ninajo…City."

"Okay, where in the city?"

"A-at a pay…phone by Dareth's dojo."

"You hide in the dojo and I'll pick you up, okay?" Kai confirms.

"I-I can't. Pixal and I…can't make it."

"Why?"

"I cannot…walk…f-far without him finding us."

"Get civilians' attention!"

"Zane!" Pixal screams from over the line.

"I have to go," Zane says and the phone hangs up.

"Wait!" Kai yells. He's too late.

"Nya, we're going to Ninjago City."

"Zane!" Pixal screams, drawing the ice ninja's attention to outside of the pay phone area.

"I have to go," Zane says and hangs the phone up. After managing to jump out of the truck, the two had barely made it away, but now Harrison and Carmel are running at them. Zane opens the transparent door and grabs Pixal's hand, bolting in the opposite direction, toward a police station.

Bang! A bullet zips past them and Zane shoves Pixal behind a car parked alongside the sidewalk, ducking as Harrison shoots at them.

Pedestrians scream and start running in a sea of people away from him, toward the two behind the car. Zane grabs Pixal's hand again and slips into the crowd of panicking people, which, for once, the ice ninja is grateful for.

Several civilians drop dead from the two. Harrison keeps shooting whilst Carmel calls for back up and the sirens of police cars draw near. The utter chaos provides the best cover for the runaway couple to slip away, or perhaps not.

Pixal trips and Zane pulls her up, nearly having been trampled on by all the people, allowing Harrison to get an eye on them.

"Got them in sight," the evil man says to his partner. "Get the sniper up."

"He's on his way right now," Carmel responds, pocketing her cell phone and drawing her handgun out.

"Hostage situation, now," Harrison shouts over the fearful screams.

"I'm on it," Carmel replies and sees a little girl who drops her doll and goes to pick it up.

Chapter 22

The Rain of Bullets

Through the telescope in the rifle not much can be spotted well enough for the target to be revealed. Most of what the trained man can see is a sea of people being shot by several dozen.

The shooting halts for a moment before resuming the death toll, but all he concentrates on is finding the two robots he is prepared to take down.

A shiny, green light emanating from Pixal's eyes reveals her location, and he spots Zane as well, running next to her.

They suddenly halt, turning their heads in sync in the direction of the hostage situation. Perfect.

The ice ninja glances up at him for a moment, but quickly looks back and mouths something the sniper can't hear, of course. He picks the woman first, her eyes giving her away more easily, and aims.

He pulls the trigger. Bang! Pixal and Zane are on the floor, disappearing into the sea of people. Satisfied, the sniper packs up his things to leave as quickly as possible, but the door opens and police are on him in seconds.

"Pixal, drop down on the floor when I tug on your sleeve," Zane tells her, still moving with the wild crowd.

"Okay," she responds, tightening her grip on his sweaty hand.

He tugs and both drop to the hard asphalt just in time as a loud bang reaches their ears, similar to the others but not quite the same.

"Remain down," Zane tells her, shielding her body with his. After a few more seconds, he gets off her and they stand up, running with the crowd again.

"What's going on?" Pixal asks.

"Sniper."

They split off the crowd and duck behind a black Honda as Harrison shoots, the bullet striking the asphalt next to Pixal's foot. The passenger door opens and before either one of the couple knows what's happening, a gun is against the female droid's temple.

"Get in the back," a skeleton demands, pulling Pixal into the driver's seat.

Zane opens the door, gets in, and shuts it. "What do you want Whiplash?"

He doesn't answer, but Zane notices the sneer on his bony face from the rearview mirror. "Just do what I tell you and Pixal will come to no harm."

"If you touch a hair on her head, Son of the Overlord, I swear I'll-"

"Now, Zane. No need to get so violent, if you want your dearest wife to live."

Zane glares at the skeleton and his gaze falls onto his frightened wife. "Don't worry, Pixal. I won't let him hurt you."

She nods, biting her quivering, white lip in terror.

"We're almost there. Can you get the guns?" Kai asks, "They're in a black box under the seat. The lock numbers are 555."

Nya does as she's told and uses the numbers to unlock it. She puts the box on her lap, opens it, and starts loading the weapons with magazines with sweaty hands.

"Hey, easy sis," Kai says and sets a hand on her shoulder.

"Be careful," she tells him and hands him the box. He loads himself with weapons and sets the box on the floor.

"Here, keep this in case you _need _it," Kai says, handing Nya a handgun. "If you try to get in the fight, I'm not going to be nice. Always think, 'my baby first', others later. You could lose your child if you get involved."

"Kai, I know that," Nya reassures him, "I'll be good. I promise I won't use it unless necessary."

"Necessary means if you or your child are in danger." Kai opens the door and locks it with the keys he pockets before heading out toward the chaos. His sister hides in the car, according to his persistent nagging.

"Alright, the game's over!" Kai shouts, though he knows no one can hear him and cocks his gun. He fires at Harrison, but misses and sees something that's not going to help the situation.

"Back off, or else this child is dead!" Carmel screeches at the police officers and turns to face Kai.

She's holding her gun against the temple of a little redhead, wearing a blue dress almost as pale as her freckled, terrified face.

"Let the girl go!" Kai yells.

"You want her, fire boy? She won't even know she died if you don't drop that gun, you dumb ninja!"

The little girl starts to cry, only fueling the rage in the fire ninja, and he lowers his weapon reluctantly.

"Alright, you win." Kai sets it on the ground and kicks it away, toward her.

Carmel bends over to pick it up and he bolts for the child, yanking the child away. In surprise, she pulls the trigger and red flies in the air.

"Come on, we need to get you out of here," Kai picks the nine-year-old up and makes for a clothing shop close by.

The windows and door is shattered from the shooting and the employee is crouched behind the counter, her hand and pink cami stained with blood from a cut on her hand. She follows Kai into the dressing room and he shuts the door, locking it with both the girls.

"You're one of the ninja, aren't you?" the teenager employee asks.

"Yes," Kai responds while pulling out his other gun and loading it with a magazine. He hands her a knife from his pocket. "Take it just in case."

"Are you leaving to go back out there?" the little girl grabs Kai's arm and the fire ninja screams both in pain and surprise, making the gun go off on the floor. "I'm sorry! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, but I have to go," Kai says, "It's okay."

"But you're hurt."

"Duty calls, girl," Kai smiles and exits the room.

Chapter 23

November 12

Kai bolts out of the shop, ignoring the hot pain in his arm, and sees Harrison going to reload his gun.

"Hey!" the fire ninja yells, drawing the man's attention. Before anything can be said or done, Kai has pulled the trigger. Blood spurts out of the torturer's head and his body drops limply to the asphalt.

Kai shoots Carmel's leg and the police hurry to the two criminals.

"It's…it's over? Is he dead?" Kai gapes at the prostrate form of the man, and turns around, lost as to what to do.

"Z-Zane, are you there?"

Nya opens the car door and stalks right up to her brother, her eyes teary and she throws her arms around him. "Kai, you're safe! But where are Zane and Pixal?"

"H-huh, what did you say?"

"Oh no…this is Pixal's," Nya says and picks up a snowflake necklace. She turns around to search among the crowd. "Zane, Pixal, are you there?"

She glances at her brother, but finds him unconscious on the floor, blood seeping from both the corners of his mouth. "Kai, what's the matter?"

"Someone get help, please!" Nya screams desperately, looking around and spots the Ultra Dragon landing with Lloyd, Jay, and Cole on him.

"Nya, what's going on?" Jay yells as they rush toward her. She throws her arms around her husband, sobbing.

"There's something wrong with Kai! Zane and Pixal were here, but now they're missing!"

"We need to get Kai to Sensei. Nya and I will go. You guys search for Zane and Pixal," Lloyd says and Nya gets in the truck as he picks up their injured brother.

**Sensei Wu's Academy:**

"Headmaster Wu," Sally pokes her head through the door, her childish face full of concern.

"Yes, Sally?" he responds, sipping a bit of tea.

"Something bad has happened! These people are all shot on the news and so was Mr. Kai!"

Sensei Wu immediately gets up as Lloyd and Nya come down the hallway, hauling an unconscious Kai with them. "He's poisoned!" Lloyd shouts.

"Do you have something that can save him?" Nya asks.

" Jie Du. It's a tea I have in the cabinet. Put him on the table," Sensei instructs them.

After a lot of work and worries, Kai was better, despite the gunshot wound to his arm. He was up to help the others look for Zane and Pixal within a week, though complaints were made to Sensei.

Nothing turned up, no matter how much the police questioned Carmel and the sniper of their whereabouts. Nothing was working until one particular day that Kai went to question Carmel.

She gave in to him and the fire ninja took off at the speed of Jay's mouth, informing the others from his cell phone. They were being held in Jamanukai Village. Kai found them…in Jason's old house. He found Zane and Pixal chained to the floor along with Jason, all held captive…their captor not present.

**November 12:**

**7:37 A.M.**

"Leave him. Melissa already told me what he did to you," Kai huffs, pulling Zane's arm to help him up.

"N-no!" Zane screams, clutching his brother's red gi with weak, but desperate fingers.

"What's the matter? Are you hurt?" Kai inquires, gently setting him back down.

"G-get…Jason. Has a-answers or he'll…be k-kill-killed."

"What?"

A loud bang from the kitchen door draws the attention of Zane, Kai, Pixal, and Jason.

"Alright, but need to go, now," the fire ninja whispers and quickly unlocks the abuser's cuffs.

He drags Jason to his feet and sets him on his back, yet the door opens, revealing Whiplash. He sneers and says something more than surprising to everyone.

"I'll let you go, if you do two things. Kill Jason, Zane, and Kai, kill me."

"W-why would…you d-do the-that?" Pixal inquires.

"It's over for me. I just don't want the whole truth to be revealed. I will pay for my crimes after death in the fiery abyss."

"Y-you're m-m-mad," Zane says with difficulty, pushing himself onto his feet.

"Why would it be that easy?" Kai asks, "After all we've been through…no…after all _Zane _has been through, why would you let us off and let us kill you?"

"The weapons are destroyed. It's only a matter of time before they kill me," Whiplash says, handing Zane a knife and Kai a handgun.

"Who?" Pixal inquires.

"You'll never know, sweetie."

"Zane, should I?" Kai turns to his bewildered brother.

"Don't you want to go on with life and be with your wife?" Whiplash takes a step closer to Kai and puts the gun to his head. "Don't you want kids and to be with your family?"

"Don't kill him," Zane says.

"Why, don't you want to?" Whiplash jeers and Kai pushes the gun against him harder.

"I'm not like you. I want you to rot in jail forever, until you're old and receive the electric chair," Zane tells him with a grim face.

"I don't think so," Jason mutters, snatching the knife from Zane plunging it into Whiplash's chest several times; then jabs the ghastly weapon into his own stomach.

"No!" Zane screams as Jason drops to the floor, blood pouring forth from his wound. He chuckles sinisterly.

"Why? Why would you do this?" Zane cries, dropping on one knee and the evil man who made him suffer whispers something.

"Because, Hawthorn, you will remember me for the rest of your life," Jason chokes. "I…will…haunt your dreams and every waking…moment to…the…end of your days."

"Call an ambulance! Please, call an ambulance, Kai!"

Pixal puts a comforting hand on her husband's shoulder, tears streaking her face. "Then if you do die, I want to know one thing: why did you abuse me?" Zane asks.

"Because…it's…fun." Jason's body goes limp and the ice ninja puts his hands on the sadist's chest, pushing to bring his heart back.

"I won't let you die! You won't get away with it so easily! Jason, you will live in torment!" Zane screams, crying as he desperately attempts to revive him.

Chapter 24

I Do

Zane tenses as the music starts to play and balls his hands into fists, sweaty from his nerves. He draws in deep breaths, now for comfort's sake and out of habit. Despite the fact that Marcy turned him back into a robot, he feels almost the same, yet better.

Six months ago, he had been able to revive Jason, and the man who ruined most of his life has received the death penalty without possibility of parole. Today, May 12th, is his day to remember forever: his wedding.

It's interesting that he had waited this long for the wedding in a sense, yet in another perspective, it did make sense. He, Pixal, and Kai had to go to court to stand up as a witness during various trials, which took a long time, and a lot of courage to do.

"It's alright Zane. I was eager too. Just wait a few more minutes," Kai puts a hand on his brother's shoulder with a small smile.

"I'm just so elated, and so nervous," Zane whispers, a grin plastered on his face.

He waits expectantly, gazing at the open doors of the largest church building in Ninjago, ready for his bride to enter any moment now.

His best man, Kai is standing next him, and so are his other man, Jay, Lloyd, and Cole. A clack of flat, dancing shoes draws Zane's full attention.

Emma enters throwing white rose petals all over, her little blond hair in cute braids. Nya also enters the church building, wearing a bright, pink dress with spaghetti straps and purple lace fringes. Melissa follows her, dressed the same, but with puffed sleeves and following her is Misako in half sleeves. All are holding a bouquet of pink roses.

They stand on the other side of the preacher and Nya gives a crying Dareth in the front row a fierce look. Sensei Wu, Ed, Edna, and Sensei Garmadon (holding Jack and Jill in his lap) are also sitting in front, turning to watch as the gorgeous bride enters the room.

It's as if an angel has stepped in their midst. Cyrus Borg wheels in, holding Pixal's arm as they make their way down. The lovely droid's silver hair is put up in a rosette, done by Melissa and her nails are white with silver glitter on them, painted by Nya.

The dress goes way down past the floor, with a train in the back that is ten feet long. Sally is holding it up so Pixal will not trip on it; the little girl is also wearing a pink knee length Lolita dress.

The wedding gown has one strap to give it a Grecian look and is purely white, sparkling with white glitter and has roses lining the V-neck part. A silver snowflake necklace adorns her neck, shimmering in the light of the building and her finger is bare in wait of the ring from her groom. The dress sways with her graceful steps and looks like smooth water running in a sunny bed in the mountains. A silver band is around her waist and the skirt part puffs out in a bell shape.

Lou plays the piano and he and his crew begin singing 'Here Comes the Bride' and Zane grabs Kai's hand. "What are you doing?" the fire ninja whispers.

"I'm just nervous. Kai, she's so beautiful." Zane says dreamily, squeezing tightly enough his brother tries to pry him off.

"Hey, Zane," Kai whispers as loudly as he dares. "You breaking my hand!"

"Oh, sorry," Zane apologizes and lets go, still gazing at his bride as she walks right up to him with a sweet smile on her white and purple face.

"Pixal is my daughter," Cyrus Borg says, also smiling, "Promise me to take care of her forever."

"I promise." Zane responds without hesitation and Cyrus hands over Pixal.

He wheels to the front row as the bride and groom get in front of the altar, holding each other's hand and facing each other. The preacher holds up his Bible, containing the notes (marriage vows being way too long to do without help).

"We are gathered here to join this man and this woman…in," he peeks at his notes again.

After a half an hour of babbling on he finally gets to the important question.

"Do you, Zane Julien, take Pixal to be your beloved wife in sickness and in health; beautiful or ugly; in good and in bad times?"

Jay leans next to Lloyd and Cole, "They're robots. They don't get sick."

They chuckle and Kai gives Jay a kick. "I do," Zane says and Pixal smiles.

"And do you, Pixal Borg, take Zane to be your beloved…what are you doing?" the preacher asks, watching the bride kick her flat shoes off.

"I've been standing so long that my feet are hurting," Pixal responds.

The boys and girls chuckle at that, everyone tired of waiting for the preacher to finish. "Husband," he continues, "in sickness and in health; beautiful or ugly; in good and in bad times?"

"I do," Pixal says, blushing terribly.

Brad gets out of his seat, holding a velvety, white pillow, holding two rings, the ones Zane and Pixal had used to marry each other in the first place. He stands in front of them, beaming.

"Now please exchange your rings," the preacher instructs them.

Zane slips the diamond one Pixal's ring finger, and she slips the plain, golden one on his. Brad goes back to his seat as the preacher continues. "Now, let us pray."

After the prayer the preacher says the final thing. "From this moment on, I pronounce you husband and wife. Now you may kiss the bride."

Zane looks at his brothers and back at Pixal, himself blushing furiously. _I'm supposed to kiss her in front of everyone? Just do it anyway._

The ice ninja cups his bride's cheeks in his gentle, cold hands, and leans in, pressing his moist lips against hers. He can smell roses from her pleasant breath and his is minty, a perfect combination. He lets his hands slide down to her waist, picking her up the traditional way, while tasting her mouth. His tongue meets hers and they kiss for a while until someone decides to say something.

"Zane, don't take too long! My leg's asleep!"

The ice smiles and retracts his tongue and walks out of the church building, carrying his wife along with him. He sets her down outside and the single women gather around in front of them. Pixal throws the bouquet of white roses in the air and it lands in Sally's hands.

Zane picks his wife up again and carries her into the car, where the white and pink ribbons decorate it. "I'll see you at the reception!" Kai yells out as Zane sets Pixal in the passenger seat.

"You will, brother," the ice ninja smiles and gets in the driver's side.

At the Reception:

The first dance seems to be the most romantic in all the movies, but to some, it seemed like something relaxing to watch while eating little dainties. Cole is, as expected, eating all of the chocolate cakes that had been made for him, just in case so the wedding cake wouldn't be devoured later on.

Jay is a bit bummed that there wasn't any cotton candy, yet other sweets draw his attention as well as Lloyd's. Kai is munching on chili peppers while Nya is eating olives and cheese from her major cravings. I suppose the baby is going to like Greek food and she already told everyone about her pregnancy. The baby is a little boy they're going to name Josh.

"Are you ready?" Zane inquires, taking Pixal's hand.

"I'm ready," she smiles.

The groom and bride enter room, the former now wearing a white suit with a silver tie (he had been wearing black prior to now), the latter wearing a calf-length, purple dress with puffed sleeves and silver trimming. Their outfits glitter in the white light on the dancing floor, the chairs and tables with white cloths surrounding the stage.

The newly wedded couple turns to face each other and Pixal puts her hands on her husband's neck, making him shudder. "Is something the matter?" she inquires.

"No, I'm just ticklish," Zane chuckles and puts his hands on her waist, doing a simple dance whilst Irish music plays softly.

Many other dances were performed, including one where Jay unintentionally dropped Nya on the floor. Garmadon and Misako performed a Tango dance, which almost proved more disastrous than Jay's latest explosive invention.

In the Car:

"Tonight was…wonderful. Did you like it?" Zane inquires while turning onto their street.

"I didn't like it." He looks at Pixal and she bursts out laughing. "I loved it!" she exclaims, throwing her arms around him.

He parks the vehicle and opens his door. "Wait for me to bring you in," Zane smiles and shuts the door.

He goes around the vehicle and picks his lovely bride up, carrying her to their new house. He opens the white door and shuts it; then carries her to the bedroom, where the blankets are in the expected color with icy blue snowflakes on them. He gently sets her down, where candles of various colors adorn the room and a heart of rose petals in by her feet.

"Did you do all of this?" Pixal asks, glancing around the room.

"Yes, I thought you might like a surprise," Zane responds, smiling sheepishly.

"Thank you, Honey," she says and gives his a peck on the cheek, before standing up.

She changes into a loose, creamy, pink tank top and capris of the same color while Zane puts on his white ninja pajamas as usual. Both get in bed and cuddle, falling asleep almost immediately after getting in from the exciting day.

The next morning, Pixal wakes up and glances at the bedside clock on the white dresser that reads 8:35 A.M. She turns around and finds her husband is already up, and that there is a wonderful scent wafting in the room. _Is he making breakfast? He's so sweet!_

Zane opens up a bamboo steamer to let the Mantou cool down. Pixal is quite fond of Aisan food and he supposed various things for their first 'morning after the wedding' would be appropriate. He sets two plates of bacon, toast, and the bread Mantou on the small, wooden table.

Pixal enters the dining room a few minutes later with her hair in her neat bun and is wearing skinny jeans and a bright blue V-neck with a snowflake on it.

"Good morning, Mrs. Julien!" Zane greets her and both stand across from each other.

"Good morning to you, Chef Julien!" Pixal smiles and takes his left hand. "I have some wonderful news for you, sweetie."

"Oh? What news?" Zane inquires.

"Take a seat first," she grins and he sits down, waiting expectantly.

"Zane Julien, you are…" she looks straight into his icy, blue eyes with her neon green ones, "going to become a father."

It takes a moment for the words to register in the Nindroid's mind. His eyes widen larger than saucers.

"Do you mean?"

"I'm pregnant."

Zane stands up with his mouth agape and Pixal blushes. "Do you want to feel the baby?"

The ice ninja cannot think of anything to say and merely nods. His wife smiles and lifts her shirt over her stomach and Zane touches her, feeling a few, little kicks and motions. "How long?" he finally asks.

"Six months."

"Boy or girl?" Zane inquires, leaning against the table for support.

"I don't know yet. I made an appointment to get an ultrasound today."

The couple ate together and drove to the appointment, and after the test, the doctor enters the room with a large grin. "Are you ready to find out?"

The two exchange glances and both nod, Zane squeezing Pixal's hand.

"Congratulations. You triplets, a boy and two girls."

Zane and Pixal's mouths fall agape.


End file.
